The Hunter's Heir
by Jon-Ur
Summary: Kept a secret from the world, the son of Artemis finds himself swept up in a quest he didn't ask for and a war he doesn't want to fight. Along his journey, he meets both friends and enemies who could mean the difference between life and death as he tries to find his place in the world. Rewrite of Broken Vows.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, everyone! Quick disclaimer for anyone who read my Broken Vows series, I just want to inform you all of why I decided to delete/rewrite it. The simple truth is: I didn't like the direction it was going and thought I needed to change it. I was also getting complaints saying that I copied from other fanfic writers, which was justified. Seeing as how that's the case, I decided to just start over from scratch.

If you're angry or upset, I'm sorry, and I hope you like this new series better. All I ask is that you give this a chance. If you're new, then great! I hope that you too enjoy this series, and don't worry, I'll be reintroducing some of the characters from my old story so don't feel lost when you see that this is a rewrite.

With that being said, let's get started.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

 **The Hunt**

Zoe Nightshade cursed beneath her parka hood, ski mask and goggles.

The snowstorm had caught her completely by surprise, and now she and her companion, Phoebe, were blindly stumbling around in the raging storm of snow and hail. Lady Artemis had promised an easy hunt. She had caught the trail of a Laestrygonian heading north, and dispatched Zoe and Phoebe to track it down before it could harm anyone.

If it was still alive, it was probably hunkered down in a cave somewhere, safe and warm. The same couldn't be said for Zoe.

Her skin was soaked and the winds made it nearly impossible for her to see clearly. She had to keep her hands extended in front of her to avoid walking into a tree.

Zoe felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to find Phoebe pointing at something off to their right. Zoe squinted to focus better, and saw that her companion had managed to spot a small cave that dug into a cliffside. Zoe nodded and motioned to follow.

A few moments later, the two had managed to get far enough into the cave that they wouldn't be buried alive come morning. While Zoe peeled her frozen jacket, and mask off of her, Phoebe managed to get a small fire going.

They got as close as they could to the meager flame, shivering despite themselves. Blessing of Artemis or no, they would freeze if this kept up.

"W-w-we need to g-g-go," Phoebe said, still shivering. "S-storm won't let up f-f-for a few more h-h-hours."

"We can't," Zoe said. "If we can't another shelter, we'll freeze. I suggest we stay here and try and stay warm until morning."

"W-w-we'll be dead by m-m-morning!" Phoebe exclaimed.

Zoe sighed and rubbed her arms in an attempt to conserve body heat. "What does thee suggest we do? We'll never find another place to stay in time, and Lady Artemis needs us to-!"

A wolf howled nearby. It was close. Zoe and Phoebe summoned their bows and aimed their arrows at the cave entrance. Despite the fact that wolves were within their mistress's domain, not all were friendly. If Lycaon and his mutts had found them, it was very unlikely that they would escape. And to say nothing of Orion…

At the cave's door, a figure appeared. It was male, there was no doubt about that. The shoulders were too large to be female and the person's overall build and height was more masculine than feminine. In his hand he held a lantern with a small flicker of flame inside. His face and body were covered in a parka sweatshirt, ski mask and goggles. He wore blue jeans and black combat boots that were covered in snow.

Zoe and Phoebe held their bows tighter.

The figure raised his hands and approached slowly. When he got within a stone's throw of them he began to place his lantern down gently. "Woah, take it easy there," he said. His voice was muffled by his mask, though it sounded deep, yet also calming.

He set the lantern down and slowly rose again to remove the clothing covering his face. He had dark hair and striking silver eyes. Eyes Zoe had only seen on one other person before…

She shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts. "Who are you?" Zoe demanded. "State thy name and business!"

He held his hands up in a gesture of peace. "My name's Hunter, I'm here to help."

Phoebe scoffed. "We don't need your help, _boy._ "

This boy-Hunter, he called himself, an insult to Zoe and those she served with-glanced at the auburn-haired girl pointing an arrow at his heart. "Yes, you do. You'll freeze if you stay out here much longer." When they didn't lower their bows, he sighed. "Look, I've got a cabin less than a mile north of here. You can either come with me and wait out the storm or you can grit your teeth and prey you aren't a popsicle by morning. What's it gonna be?"

Phoebe glanced at Zoe out of the corner of her eye. Zoe hesitated for a few seconds before she closed her eyes, sighed, and lowered her weapon. "Take us."

Hunter nodded and put his arms down. "Come on." He put his mask and goggles back on and made his way outside. Phoebe gave Zoe a look. The ebony haired girl gave a _trust me_ look and began to put her snow gear back on. Phoebe followed suit and together they walked back into the storm.

Hunter was waiting for them, along with a pack of a dozen wolves. The largest one was a female with white-grey fur and pale blue eyes. She was so large that he back reached Hunter's waist. When they approached she growled and the surrounding wolves followed her lead.

Hunter stroked her backside. "Easy, girl. These are friends."

The wolf stopped growling, though she remained in a defensive stance. Hunter looked at them sheepishly. "Sorry about them. They don't really like strangers." He patted the wolf's head. "This is Winter. She's the alpha of this pack."

Phoebe stepped forward. "You can control them?"

Hunter looked down. "Not control them, no. More like…they help me out if I really need them, but they mostly stay to themselves. They actually led me to you guys."

Zoe stepped forward. "As much as I would love to stay and chat, we really must get going."

Hunter winced, though Zoe couldn't be sure through her goggles. "Right, sorry. Follow me."

-o-

"Are we there yet?" The redhaired girl called over my shoulder.

"Close!" I called back. "We'll be there soon!"

The storm was a nasty surprise, to be sure. I doubt many of the creatures out here had time to prepare before the onslaught began. Luckily for me I had a nice warm place to stay. Luckily for those girls I was close enough to find them.

Even though I could hardly see a thing, I still had a pretty good idea where I was going. I'd been living in this forest for as long as I could remember, so I'd spent most of my childhood hiking and hunting around here. I knew these woods like the back of my hand.

Soon we arrived at our destination: a small wooden cabin. I opened the door and ushered the girls inside. I turned around and gave Winter a small pat on the head. "Good job, girl. Go get some rest."

She turned around and howled. She and her pack bolted into the trees like ghosts. I went into my cabin and hung the lantern on the wall. My home was modest, with a single living room, a small dining room, and a hallway that connected to two bedrooms and a bathroom.

In the living room were several bookcases and a single coffee table. Surrounding the table were two long couches and a loveseat. A large window next to the door gave off a great view of the surrounding woods.

The dining room had a small table, several chairs, and cabinets that held plates, bowls, and glasses. The bedrooms contained beds (obviously), a small burau to hold clothing, and a small window. The bathroom contained a sink and a shower. An outhouse was outside, though there was no way we'd be able to reach it until the storm stopped.

"Leave your stuff by the fire," I said as I took my soaked jacket off and hung it above the fireplace. The two girls stripped down to their T-shirts and jeans and hung their wet apparel next to mine.

"You two hungry?" I asked as I bent down to examine the stew that was in a pot above the fire that I'd been making before Winter led me into the snow. I got weekly supply drops from my…host, and put them to good use when necessary. The stew contained vegetables like potatoes, carrots and corn with some venison mixed in.

Before they could answer, their stomachs growled. They both blushed. I smiled and said, "I'll go grab some bowls."

A few moments later I came back with three bowls, spoons and a ladle. I pulled the stew off the fire and poured its contents into the bowls. I held them out to the girls, though they looked less than grateful. "If I wanted to kill you, I would've left you in that cave."

They exchanged a quick glance but took the bowls nonetheless. It was quiet for a few minutes as we all ate. "So…what're your names?" I asked after a moment.

"Does it matter?" The redhead asked. "Well," I said, "I am letting you stay the night and eat my food, so I think the least you could do is open up a little. I don't bite."

"My name is Zoe," Said the black-haired girl after a moment. "This is Phoebe."

I nodded. "Nice to meet you."

We spent the rest of the meal in silence. When we were finished I took the dishes and put them in the sink and washed them. When I came back Zoe was examining the wall. "This place is protected by divine enchantments."

"You're perceptive," I said. "This place was built by my grandmother as a temple to Apollo. When my dad, Fred, was born Apollo blessed the place. Made it so monsters couldn't get in." Ok, that was a lie, but I couldn't go spouting the real reason this place was built…

"You're a half-blood?" Zoe asked with an arched eyebrow.

"I am," I said.

"Who is thy godly parent?" She asked. "You mentioned thy grandfather was Apollo, and thy father was a demigod as well, so who was thy mother?"

I shrugged. "No idea. Dear old Dad hasn't told me yet."

Zoe looked like she wanted to talk more, but I wasn't in a chatty mood. "Don't you guys think it's time for bed?"

They exchanged glances but nodded. "Great. Your bedroom's down the hall to the left," I said. "Mine's across from yours if you need anything."

"We won't," Phoebe said.

As they passed I muttered, "What crawled up your butt and died?" They didn't seem to hear me, so I just went to my own bedroom. I changed into my pajamas and crawled into bed. I watched the snow fall outside my window until I fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke up before dawn and saw that the storm had broken. I made my way into my guests' bedroom and found them curled up on the floor and bed. I crouched down and gave Phoebe's shoulder a shake. I had barely touched her when her eyes shot open and she pressed a hunting knife to my throat.

I held my hands up in surrender. "Easy, Clove, I just wanted to let you know it's time to rise and shine."

She glared at me for a minute before she sighed and put her knife down. She then got up and woke Zoe. We then helped ourselves to some of the food I had left and got dressed. "So," I asked as the girls put on their jackets, "what are you guys hunting?"

"How do you know we're hunting something?" Phoebe asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Please. My dad told me all about the Hunters of Artemis. How they follow the goddess on her adventures, and how they always have a silvery aura." I pointed at them with my middle and index fingers. "Just like you two."

They exchanged a glance. Zoe sighed and said, "A Laestrygonian. We're hunting a Laestrygonian."

I raised an eyebrow. "All the way out here?"

Zoe nodded. "From what Lady Artemis could gather, only one is here, though it could no doubt do serious harm on its own. We were dispatched to deal with this aberrant giant."

I nodded and looped my belt onto my pants. At the sides were two sheaths that contained my hunting knives; celestial bronze serrated blades that were about as long as my forearm. I'd gotten pretty good with using them in combat. (Though I had little experiences outside of training exercises and dealing with the occasional angry bear.) This worked out especially well in my favor, seeing as I preferred to move around when I fought and swords were too heavy for me to do that comfortably.

"What art thee doing?" Zoe asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "Coming with you?"

Phoebe shook her head. "Absolutely not. I refuse to let a _boy_ like you join us. Besides, you'll just slow us down."

I scowled. "No, I won't! Besides, I think I have a right to tag along, especially considering that I live here." When they didn't look convinced I added, "If it really bothers you that much, how about if I just come as a sort of…backup? Y'know, make sure you don't get too banged up out there."

Zoe looked like she wanted to argue, but she just sighed and said, "We're wasting time. If thee does wish to join us, you will do what we say, when we say it; and thee will stay back whist we are dealing with it. Understand?"

I nodded enthusiastically. "You got it, boss!"

"Don't call me 'boss.'" She muttered as she opened the door. The snow came up to our knees, so we had to take large steps as we walked. "This is getting ridiculous," Phoebe said, "I have snow in my boots!"

"There is not much we can do about the snow," Zoe said.

I pursed my lips and pointed up. "What if we climbed through the trees?"

They looked at where I was pointing and saw what I saw: dozens of trees whose branches were sturdy enough to hold us. Zoe nodded approvingly. "Not a bad idea."

"Thanks!" I said.

"Don't get a swelled head," Phoebe muttered. "It wasn't _that_ good."

I gave her a rather unflattering hand gesture when she turned around. Soon enough we were racing through the trees with the wind in our hair and not a care in the world. Experience allowed me to keep pace with them easily; after all, I'd been doing this since I could run.

We found the giant rather quickly. He was about eight feet tall with long brown hair and an underbite so severe his bottom teeth stuck out from his lips. He wore leather armor and a large club was braced on his shoulder.

Zoe and Phoebe wordlessly summoned their bows and nocked their arrows. Together, they let the arrows fly. The giant roared in outrage and stumbled back, arrows sticking out of the armor on his chest. More arrows flew. The giant swung his club at the tree Zoe was on and she was knocked from her perch into the snow below. Luckily the white substance broke her fall, but now the giant was baring down on her.

He raised his giant club, and I leapt from my tree. I landed on his shoulders and drove my knives into his ears. He screamed in agony and stumbled back. He jerked his shoulders and I was thrown off. I hit a tree and the wind was knocked out of me. The giant saw me, and grit his teeth. He looked like he was about to charge, but an arrow appeared in his eye. He crumbled to dust.

I saw Phoebe helping Zoe up before they walked over to where I was. I climbed to my feet, still gasping for air. When they reached me, Zoe looked highly uncomfortable. "T-thanks," She said after a second.

I nodded and finally caught my breath. "No problem. What now?"

Phoebe shouldered her bow. "Now, we leave. The monster's been taken care of, so there's no reason for us to stay."

I nodded. "Do you guys have a ride or do you need to walk?"

Zoe looked up. "Our 'ride' is here."

I looked at where she was and saw a bright ball of silver light descending upon us. I closed my eyes when the light became too intense and opened them again when the light faded. Standing before me was by far the strangest thing I'd ever see: a twelve-year-old girl with auburn hair and silver eyes was holding the reigns to a sleigh pulled by four reindeer. I probably would've made a Santa Claus joke if Zoe and Phoebe hadn't bowed their heads and said, "Lady Artemis."

The goddess inclined her head. "Zoe. Phoebe. I trust your hunt was successful?"

"Yes, my lady," Zoe said.

The goddess turned her head to look at me and I felt a small tug in my stomach. "Who is this?"

I thought it was pretty rude to talk about me as though I wasn't there, but I wasn't about to comment. I'd been told several times to always be respectful when in the presence of an immortal. Some of them had a tendency to get offended easily, and when that happened the mortals who'd offended them tended to blow up.

"This is Hunter, Lady Artemis," Phoebe said. "He…helped us." She said it like it was an unfortunate truth.

Artemis looked at me for a second. I saw her place a hand on her lower stomach. "Hmm. Come along, dears." Zoe and Phoebe climbed into the sleigh and the three girls disappeared in a flash of light.

And then I was alone in the middle of the woods. I felt a little bitter that goddess barely acknowledged me or at least thanked me for helping the girls. After all, they would've frozen to death if not for me. I shook my head and decided that I'd head back to my cabin and await my "father's" return.

-o-

A few hours later, the woods around my house were bathed in a bright light. I put my book down and sat back, eager for the conversation that was about to take place. I heard the sound of boots on the porch and a second later the door was flung open. In stepped a man with sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, and a perfect tan. He was around seventeen or eighteen and wore a sleeveless white T-shirt, jeans, and loafers. His stupid grin was so white I was nearly blind.

"Howdy, kiddo!" He said. I probably shouldn't be so exasperated with him, but after putting up with his nonsense for Thirteen years, I was kind of done.

"Hey, Apollo," I said. Apollo had taken me in as a baby and built this little cabin to make sure I stayed out of trouble. He'd taken it upon himself to raise me himself (with help from some of the local nymphs). Whenever I asked him who my parents were, he'd brush it off and switch the conversation to something else.

"What's up?" He asked.

I shrugged. "Not much. The storm was pretty violent last night."

He nodded. "Yeah, I saw. You good?"

"Yeah, although a monster came stumbling around."

His eyes were the size of dinner plates. "What!? Is it still out there?"

I shook my head. "I took care of it."

He narrowed his eyes. "By yourself?"

I shook my head. "No." I looked him dead in the eyes. "Two girls with silver bows and auras were tracking it. I led them to the giant, and we killed it."

I saw him swallow. "Is that so?"

I nodded. "Yep. I didn't tell them that you were here or anything; just that I lived out here with my 'dad'."

He nodded, looking nervous. "Good. Good."

"Oh, and I met your sister."

He paled so much he could've blended in with the snow. "What?"

"You heard me. She came to pick up her Hunters and then she left."

Apollo let out a breath. "Oh, good."

I stood up and walked over to him. "It was pretty strange, meeting another god. I got this weird feeling when I was around her." Apollo gulped. "Almost like we had some sort of special connection. Any idea why that is?"

Apollo sighed and sat down on the loveseat. "I knew this day was coming." I sat down on the couch and waited for him to go on. "You already have a guess, don't you?"

I nodded. "I do, but I'd rather hear you say it so I don't look stupid if I'm wrong."

Apollo gave a slight chuckle. "She's your mother."

I pursed my lips. "I knew it," I muttered. "Wait, if I'm her son, why didn't she say anything when she saw me?"

Apollo ran a hand through his hair. "She doesn't know you exist."

I raised an eyebrow. "Uh, you do know how babies are born, right? Mothers typically tend to know about that."

Apollo shook his head. "You were conceived immaculately. So immaculately that my sister never even knew you were made in the first place."

"And how is that?"

Apollo sighed. "Centuries ago, a woman named Niobe insulted our mother, Leto. In revenge, Artemis and I struck down her seven sons and daughters. Her husband later killed himself and Niobe disappeared. We assumed she died. Then, thirteen years ago, she reappeared and stole some of Artemis's divine essence and combined it with that of a mortal she'd killed, creating you."

I squinted. "How do you know this?"

"Niobe told me. She sought me out after the deed was done and asked that I deliver you to my sister. She disappeared again before I could question her further or apprehend her."

"So why didn't you?"

"Why didn't I what?"

"Bring me to her?" I crossed my arms.

Apollo gulped. "I wasn't sure how she would've reacted."

I raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

Apollo looked at me. "I wasn't sure if she would kill you or not."

I swallowed. Then I stood up and began to walk to the door.

"What are you doing?" Apollo asked.

"Going to find my mother," I said over my shoulder. "It's about time she found out."

"Wait!" Apollo called. "Didn't you hear what I said?"

I nodded. "I did, but if I'm going to die, I'd rather do it on my own terms, and you can't stop me, not forever, so if you'll excuse me."

My hand had just grabbed the doorknob when Apollo said, "Wait." I turned my head to look at him. "Let me do it."

"Apollo?"

He walked over and opened the door. "It was my responsibility, so I'll be the one to do it. You just go for a walk, clear your mind. I imagine she'll either be furious or curious. Or both."

I nodded. "How long will you be gone?"

He shrugged. "Maybe an hour or so."

I nodded. "Good luck."

He smiled. "You too." Then he jumped in his chariot and disappeared. I took a deep breath and ran into the woods. If I was going to die, I wanted to at least enjoy a hunt one final time.

-o-

Apollo sat in his chariot, contemplating what to do. Below him was Artemis's camp. From his seat he could see over a dozen girls in silver jackets milling around; sharpening weapons, eating, sparing, or firing arrows on a makeshift range.

Apollo pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew that he could back out; that he could drive off, erase Hunter's memories of the past two days and everything could go back to normal. But deep down, he knew that wasn't possible. Either his sister would find out some other way, or he'd feel so guilty that he'd undo his mistakes.

So, with a weary heart, Apollo set his chariot down in a small clearing just outside the camp. He opened the door and climbed out. A small group of Hunters had gathered to see who was intruding upon their haven. When they saw it was Apollo they didn't hide their disgust. Several groaned while the others simply scowled at him.

Apollo didn't give his usual greeting of "Sup, ladies?" Instead, he simply said, "Hello girls. Is my sister here?"

The girl in charge, Chloe, glanced back at her sisters with a confused look on her face. Naomi shrugged. "She's in her tent," Chloe said.

"Thank you," Apollo said. He began to walk toward the largest tent. Several of the girls looked up from what they were doing to stare at Apollo as he went. Apollo ignored them all, instead focusing his attention on his upcoming confrontation with his sister. When he reached his destination, he hesitated. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pulled open the flap that served as a doorway.

The tent was fairly spacious, with silk rugs and pillows covering the floor. A golden brazier was set in the middle and burned without fuel. Off to one side, Artemis's silver bow hung on a polished oak display. On another side was a small bed with animal fur blankets and a feather pillow. Artemis was hunched over a table, studying a map. She hadn't noticed Apollo yet.

The sun god cleared his throat. Artemis turned toward him, her face blank. When she saw him, her face soured. "Apollo. What are you doing here?"

Apollo shuffled uncomfortably. "Can we sit down? I need to talk to you."

Artemis narrowed her eyes but nodded nonetheless. "What do you want, brother?" she asked after they took their seats.

Apollo licked his lips. "Do…do you remember the boy who helped Zoe and Phoebe?"

Artemis nodded slowly. "What about him?"

Apollo gulped. "I…I think it will be easier to _show_ you than to try and explain," he held out his hand. "Trust me, Artemis."

She took his hand reluctantly and closed her eyes. Apollo closed his eyes as well and shared his memories of that black-haired boy with his sister. In a single moment, Artemis saw every one of Apollo's experiences with Hunter: how he'd found him, taken care of him, raised him, and kept him hidden from her.

Artemis screamed and flung herself away from her brother. For a moment her mind raced as doubt and confusion consumed her. The moment passed, and her confusion was replaced with a fury so intense that none could comprehend it. She snarled like a lion and tackled her brother, pinning him under her and pressing a knife to his jugular.

"You _dare_!" she breathed. "You dare hide this from me? Why?"

Apollo-to his credit-didn't show any signs of fear. "Because I had no idea how you'd react."

Artemis's eyes widened for a fraction of a second. "What are you saying?"

Apollo smiled slightly. "I think you know. He was never meant to exist. He was a glitch in the universe, and I had no idea if you'd take it upon yourself to 'fix' that glitch."

Artemis slowly slid off of her brother, an unreadable expression on her face. "You thought I would kill my own son," she whispered. Her face quickly flushed with anger. "I'm the goddess of childbirth, brother!"

Apollo nodded. "And he was born unnaturally. I assumed you'd see him as a violation of everything you represented. A humiliation to you that was so great you'd have no choice but to erase it."

Artemis's eyes turned downcast. "So, in the end, you did not trust me, and due to your lack of trust, you robbed me of something that was- _is_ so fundamentally _mine_. Something that you had no right to take from me."

Apollo could only say, "I don't expect you to forgive me, but know that I was doing what I thought was right."

Artemis glared at him. "If you were so worried about me killing him, why tell me now?"

"He said that if I didn't tell you, then he would."

Artemis arched an eyebrow. "And you believed him?"

Apollo nodded. "Hunter isn't one to make idle threats. He would've found a way, and if you do intend to kill him, I wanted to be there to stop you."

Artemis gripped her bow. "I would never hurt him, Apollo. You should've known that."

Apollo sighed, "I suppose I should have."

Artemis stood up. "Take me to him."

Apollo shot to his feet. "What?"

"You heard me. Either take me to my son, or stand aside."

Apollo swallowed. "You promise you won't hurt him?"

Artemis glared over her shoulder. "I swear I won't."

Apollo nodded. "Then follow me."

Apollo began to lead Artemis out of the tent. Artemis told her girls that she would be gone for a few hours and that Zoe would be in charge. They climbed into Apollo's sun chariot and disappeared in a flash of bright light.

A moment later they reappeared in the large forest where Apollo had fostered his nephew. When the twins stepped out of the car, their eyes widened in horror. The cabin was on fire and its roof had collapsed.

"No!" Apollo cried. He ran to the front of the cabin. "Hunter?"

"Brother!" Artemis shouted. Apollo looked at where she was. She was crouching in the snow, examining a large indent. Apollo walked over and realized that it was a large footprint. Artemis cursed under her breath.

"What is it?" Apollo asked.

"Laestrygonians," Artemis snarled. "They went this way."

Apollo summoned his bow. "Come on!" Then he raced off in the direction of the footprints, Artemis hot on his heels.

-o-

I've got to say, on my top-ten-most-embarrassing-moments list, this ranked around three or four. So there I was, enjoying a leisurely stroll through the woods, enjoying the view and hoping to maybe score some dinner when out of nowhere, a giant flaming cannonball sailed over my head. I was able to avoid the projectile, but the same couldn't be said for my house. The cannonball shattered my front door and the cabin caught fire.

"Oh, come on!" I shouted.

I turned around to find half a dozen giants wading into view. I pulled out my knives (great decision, I know) and charged them. In my head I imagined dodging and weaving around them, slashing when necessary until they were all dead. That wasn't how it played out. I got one in the big toe when his buddy grabbed me from behind. My arms and legs were pinned so I couldn't break free.

"You ok, Spine Smasher?" One of them asked.

The guy I stabbed said, "Fine, just a little prick." Then he waded over to me. "Looks tasty." The rest of his friends nodded in agreement.

"Oh, you don't wanna eat lil' old me," I said. "I've got no protein, no nutritious value. Maybe you should just let me go and not waste your time."

The guy holding me barked, "Quiet!" and began to carry me through the trees, back to (presumably) their campsite.

So, here I am, struggling to free myself while a half dozen smelly giants argued which spices and vegetables would suit me best. (They were saying carrots and basil, which I found absolutely ridiculous.)

I could see a small fire brewing in the trees, and I assumed I would only have a few more minutes before it was chow time. I was about to begin begging for a miracle when a golden arrow pierced the left eye of the giant who was holding me. He crumbled to dust, and I was released from his hold. I hit the ground and rolled out of the way as a volley of silver and gold arrows found their marks in the giants' stomachs, chests, faces and arms. Pretty soon it was just me and several small piles of golden dust. Two figures emerged from the tree line. I recognized them as Apollo and…my mother. Ugh. Now that I say it, that really does feel weird.

"And look who finally shows up!" I said as I climbed to my feet. "Where were you an hour ago?"

Apollo glanced at his sister. "Fulfilling a promise."

I took a deep breath at the twelve-year-old next to him. Her bow was at her side, a quiver of arrows on her back. She looked just the same as when I had first seen her, and yet…there was something else in her eyes as well. Her gaze wasn't angry, or frustrated. More like…cautious. I figured that was to be expected considering she'd just recently found out she had an immaculately conceived child that her brother hid from her for Thirteen years.

I sighed. "Are you just gonna stare all day or are we gonna get this over with?"

Apollo's eyebrows shot up in surprise. I supposed that it was unwise to speak so frankly with an Olympian, but then again, if I was going to die I wanted to at least do it on my own terms.

Artemis didn't look angry, however. She looked me up and down a few times, as though determining whether or not I would make a good floor rug. I noticed her eyes were somewhat glistening as well, though that was probably just from the cold.

Slowly, she took a step forward. Apollo watched her closely as she approached, though I wasn't really sure if he could do anything if Artemis really wanted me dead. She got within arm's reach of me and I closed my eyes, expecting a sudden stab or to be turned into a furry creature. Instead, I felt a warm hand cup my cheek gently. I opened my eyes and found Artemis looking up at me, a small smile on her lips.

"My son," She said quietly. I noticed Apollo relax. I did so as well.

"Hi," I said after a minute. Artemis smiled wider and removed her hand from my cheek.

"You ok?" Apollo asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," I said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to start rebuilding my house."

I began to walk in the direction of my former cabin when Apollo cleared his throat. "Um, Hunter?"

I turned around. "Yes?"

"I don't really think it's a good idea for you to stay here."

I raised my eyebrows. "What? Why?"

Apollo and Artemis exchanged nervous glances. "Now that my temple's been destroyed, it will take some time to fix it."

"How much time?"

Apollo shrugged. "However long until I get around to it."

I crossed my arms. "And where, per say, do you expect me to go until you _get around to it_?"

Artemis stepped forward. "I could offer you a spot in the Hunters, if you so wish. Zoe and Phoebe have reported your abilities in combating monsters, and if my brother has trained you since birth, you will be more than capable of handling your own."

I raised an eyebrow. "Thanks, but I'd rather not spend the rest of eternity parading around with a bunch of middle schoolers with a severe case of misandry." I quickly added "no offense."

"None taken," Artemis said.

"Then you'll be going to Camp Half-Blood," Apollo said. "It's a place where demigods like you can train while being kept safe from monsters and such."

I scoffed. "Can't you just wave your hand and fix my crib? It'd be a lot better than hanging around some summer camp."

Apollo shook his head. "No can do, kiddo, sorry."

I sighed. "Fine. How will I get there?"

"I'll call Chiron and have him send someone."

I nodded. "Ok. And, when you get a chance, can you send me some new clothes? All mine are kinda on fire."

Apollo sighed. "Yeah, sure."

I smiled. "Thanks."

He nodded and pulled out a cellphone. He pressed a few of the buttons and held it up to his ear before walking away. Just before he got out of range I could hear him say, "Chiron, my man! How've you been? Listen, I need you to send-"

I smiled before looking back at Artemis, who was looking at me again. I turned toward her and took a step forward.

"So…" I began, "how are you? With all this, I mean. I know this is kinda jarring, and all."

She smiled and gripped her bow with both hands. "It was…surprising, to say the least. I never believed I would find myself in a position of motherhood, but now that I am here…I am beginning to warm to the idea."

I smiled despite myself. At least she wasn't likely to kill me…I hope. A moment later, Apollo reappeared, smiling wildly. "Good news! Chiron will be sending someone along shortly."

I nodded. "How long?"

Apollo shrugged. "An hour, maybe."

"That's comforting," I muttered.

"I should be going," Artemis said. "The sun will set soon, and I must return to my Hunters."

"Don't forget to write," Apollo said cheerfully.

Artemis sighed and shook her head. Then she turned to me and said, "Good hunting, my child."

I nodded back and she turned and sprinted into the trees. Apollo went to leave as well but I grabbed his wrist. He turned his head. "Yes?"

I took a deep breath. "Before you go, I just wanted to say…thanks. For everything. You didn't have to take care of me or even keep me alive, but you did. I just want you to know how grateful I am for that."

Apollo smiled and gave me a hug, which I reluctantly returned. (What? I'm not a touchy-feely kind of guy.) When he pulled back he smiled and said, "It was my pleasure, kiddo." Then he turned, and teleported away.

I found a stump nearby and sat down, waiting for whoever was sent to fetch me.

-o-

By the time he arrived, the sun had dipped below the horizon and the temperature had begun to drop significantly. I was playing with one of my knives when he appeared, stumbling out of the thicket of trees. He was young, probably around twelve years old with brown hair, brown eyes and goat feet.

I stood up and began to walk toward him. He was pulling a small stick out of his fur when I got to him. "Stupid woods. Stupid forests. Stupid gorgeous nymphs. Oh!"

"You the guy?" I asked.

He nodded and offered his hand. "Yeah. I'm Grover. Grover Underwood."*

I took his hand and gave it a shake. "Nice to meet you. I'm Hunter."

He pulled his hand back and looked around. "So…you ready?"

I nodded. "I already got everything I need."

He looked nervous for a second before he smiled and said, "Great! Camp's not too far from here, so we should arrive just after dinner."**

I nodded. Together we began to make our way through the trees that had for so many years been my home.

Roughly an hour and a half later, we arrived in a large strawberry field that was covered with snow. In the distance I could see cabins in the distance and a large two-story house. The whole place looked deserted.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"Probably at dinner," Grover said. "Come on. I'll introduce you to Chiron."

"Well," I muttered to myself, "welcome to Camp Half-Blood."

* * *

* This story takes place a few months/during the Lightning Thief, so Grover, Percy and Annabeth will be much younger than they are right now.

** Since it's the middle of winter in the story, the sun sets much earlier than it would in the summer, so it would be dark when dinner is usually held.

A/N: If you enjoyed, please leave a review and if you want to be alerted to when I update then favorite/follow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 **Welcome to Camp**

Grover led me through the long line of cabins to an open pavilion filled with kids sitting on stone benches and tables. A large brazier stood in the middle, filling the entire area with comfortable warmth.

The campers-who I was just noticing were little older than teenagers-turned and looked at me as we walked. I saw a few exchange hushed whispers while others snickered. One kid with sandy-blonde hair and a long white scar running down his face stared me down, his face emotionless.

Finally, we arrived at a table that was off to the side, with two blonde boys and an old, fat man sitting on the bench. At the head was a man with brown hair, sitting in a wheelchair. When he noticed us, he looked up and smiled pleasantly. "Ah, Grover, I'm glad to see you've returned safely"-he turned to me-"And you must be Hunter."

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Oh boy," the fat man murmured, "another mouth to feed."

"Mr. D," the man in the wheelchair said, "do try and be a bit more welcoming."

Mr. D put his Diet Coke can down and smiled pleasantly (or as pleasantly as he could). "Of course, where are my manners? Welcome to Camp Half-Blood! Try not to die, I don't need my precious time wasted by scraping up your remains."

"Well aren't you a barrel of laughs," I muttered.

Mr. D looked me in the eyes and I could swear that purple flames danced in his irises. "Watch your tone, boy, or you'll lose that fancy tongue of yours."

I swallowed and nodded.

"Good," Said Mr. D. "Now that introductions are out of the way, why don't you run along."

The man in the wheelchair nodded. "I agree. Why don't you follow me, Hunter? I'll show you our orientation film."

"Ok," I said.

"This way."

We left the pavilion and walked (or rolled) in silence for a few minutes before we came to a massive farmhouse. There looked to be around four stories, but only the first level was lit. Chiron stopped and looked like he was trying to push himself up. Before I could argue against it (on the grounds that he _couldn't_ walk), he pushed himself to a standing position and kept going. Instead of human legs, he had the entire underside of a horse.

"Y-you're a centaur," I said in disbelief. "Wait, so does that mean that you're Chiron? Like… _the_ Chiron?"

He chuckled. "There aren't many others named Chiron, at least not that I'm aware of."

"So you, like, trained Hercules and Perseus?"

"And a hundred others," he said, "and even more after them."

I swallowed. "Oh."

He gave me a sympathetic smile and gestured with his hand for me to follow. "In here."

We walked inside. The interior was rather nice, with comfy looking cushions and armchairs that were huddled close together. A small coffee table sat in the middle of them, with several Olympian magazines spread across the center.

I scoffed. Apollo had always been a sucker for tabloids, and had tried relentlessly to teach the skill of gossip to me, but I'd refused to participate in such nonsense.

"So," I asked, "where's the movie?"

Chiron crossed his arms. "I don't think you need that."

"W-what are you talking about?" I asked.

Chiron arched his eyebrow. "My boy, if you want to fit in here, you'd better learn to trust others."

I sighed. "You know, don't you?"

He nodded. "Lord Apollo did not leave out any details that I might find, ah, important."

"Then you know who my mother is, don't you?"

He nodded. "I was informed, though I prefer to see the proof for myself."

A held out my arm hesitantly for a moment before I summoned my bow. Chiron's eyes widened for a second before his gaze returned to neutral. "May I?"

I nervously placed it in his hands. He ran his fingers along the top. "Interesting."

"Please be careful," I said, nervous about him breaking my prized possession.

He looked at me for a moment before handing the bow back to me. "I wouldn't have believed it had I not seen it for myself."

"Neither would she," I muttered.

Chiron put a hand under his chin. "Lady Artemis does tend to favor her own eyes to the words of others." He nodded. "Very well then, welcome to Camp Half-Blood."

"Thanks," I muttered. "Where will I be staying?"

"Well, I suppose I could put you in the Artemis cabin, considering—"

"No!" I said hastily. "I mean…no thank you."

He looked confused. "Are you sure? I'm certain Lady Artemis wouldn't mind it if you—"

"Thanks," I cut in, "but I'd rather not."

He was quiet for a second. "Very well, I'll have your things brought to cabin eleven."

"Hermes?" I asked, remembering something Apollo had told me about how the cabins had been set up, way before I'd left.

"Yes. He takes in all those without proper places, at least until their claimed"-he shot me a look-"but once you're claimed, you have to go."

I nodded. "Understood."

"Good. Follow me."

By now dinner had wrapped up and most kids were heading to the amphitheater that sat nearby, though I few did seem to be heading to bed. Chiron raised a hand and called "Luke!"

The blonde-haired boy with the scar jogged over, a small smile on his lips. "What's up?"

Chiron put a hand on my shoulder. "This is Hunter, he's new."

Luke's smile widened. "Awesome! He claimed or undetermined?"

"Undetermined," said Chiron.

Luke's smile didn't diminish. "That's cool, that's cool. Nice to meet you, Hunter." He stuck out his hand and I shook it. "Likewise."

"It seems a bit late for a tour, so why don't you bring him to cabin eleven?" Chiron suggested.

"You got it," Luke said. "Follow me."

There were only twelve cabins, arranged in a reverse U, just like the Olympian throne room. (Apollo told me about it; I haven't actually been there.) Luke led me to a cabin that-quite frankly-looked like it had seen better days. The paint was peeling, and one of the window-shutters was hanging by a corner.

I must've looked nervous, because Luke patted me on the shoulder. "I know it doesn't look like much, but just give it a chance, yeah?"

"Yeah, sure," I said.

The inside wasn't much better. There were so many beds and sleeping bags that it was hard to walk without stepping on one. Luke tapped a rolled up one by the wall with his foot. "This one's ours," he said. "Your things will be brought by later."

"Thanks."

He turned to walk out but stopped in the threshold. "You comin'?"

I nodded. "No thanks. I think I'll just go to sleep. It's been a long day."

He looked like he wanted to say more, but went with, "Ok. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I said back. Then he closed the door, and I was alone. I placed my knives next to me and unwrapped the bundle and crawled inside. It was a little too small for me, and a little dusty, but my body must've had enough, because I fell asleep within seconds.

-o-

I was standing on the edge of a cliff that dropped fifty feet. A large lake was nearby, its waters still. Trees stretched as far as the eye could see, and a mountain rose in the distance. The sun was rising, giving the sky a vibrant pink and orange look. It had snowed the night before, and soft flaky powder covered the ground.

I sighed contently. Sometimes it was nice to live in the middle of nowhere. I liked to come here sometimes when Apollo was out. The cabin was less than a mile south, so I was in no real danger. I closed my eyes and breathed in the smell of nature.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

I whirled around. Standing a few feet behind me was a woman I had never seen. She was beautiful, with golden hair and shimmering green eyes that were the color of healthy grass. She was dressed in a simple white gown, with bracelets on her wrists. A small crown rested on her forehead.

"Who are you?" I asked.

The woman laughed; a sound that radiated calm. "Come now, child, you must have an idea."

I swallowed and took a step back. "You're Niobe."

She nodded. "And you're Hunter." She took a step forward. I tried to step back, but my heels craped against the edge of the cliff, sending flakes of snow over the edge. I closed my eyes and prepared for the worst, but all I felt was a hand cup my cheek tenderly.

"You're so…beautiful," Niobe whispered. She removed her hand and stepped back, though a tiny smile remained on her face.

"What do you want?" I asked, a little unsure (and creeped out) of how this was going down.

Niobe cocked her head. "Why, to see you of course."

"What?"

Niobe giggled. "I wanted to see how you've turned out, despite everything that's happened."

I scowled. "What do you mean 'everything that's happened?'"

Niobe's smile faded. "Apollo wasn't supposed to hide you; he was supposed to bring you to Artemis from the beginning."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because that was what he promised me," she said.

"Hold on, time out!" I put my hands in a T shape. "What do you mean by all this? What are you talking about?"

Niobe sighed sadly. "I'm not surprised that he didn't tell you. I suppose it's my fault for trusting that fool with anything besides his reflection."

"Hey!" I said, not liking how she was talking about the person I owed my life to.

Niobe began to pace back and forth. "Do you know why I hate Artemis and Apollo so much?"

"I don't care."

"They killed my children," she continued, completely ignoring me, "just because I said that I was superior to their mother, Leto, because I gave birth to fourteen children while she only sired two."

" _Fourteen_? Ouch."

She nodded. "Indeed. Anyway, I refused to give praise to Leto, as was customary back in the day, so Artemis and Apollo sought revenge."

"By killing your children."

Niobe nodded. "I watched as your mother and uncle slaughtered my babies with arrow after arrow, until all of them were dead."-her voice cracked-"After that, my husband threw himself from the cliffs of Thebes, our home. I refused to go on living, so the gods took pity on me and turned me into a stone."

"Why a stone?" I asked. "Why not just kill you outright?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. The gods are weird. Anyway, I was sent to the Underworld, where Hades forced me to watch my children die again and again for centuries."

I winced. "Wait, then how are you here?"

She smiled. "I'm glad you asked. Just when I thought I'd had enough, a voice spoke to me."

"You do know hearing voices in your head is bad, right?"

"And they said that they could help me hurt Artemis, Apollo, Hades, and all the other gods who'd wronged me!"

I swallowed. "I don't really understand your meaning."

Niobe smiled and extended her arm. "Would you like me to show you what I mean?"

I thought for a second before I took her hand. The scenery shifted around us, almost like we were going through hyperspace. Now we were in the middle of a clearing, with silver tents all around us. Girls in silver camo were everywhere. I saw Zoe Nightshade sharpening her knife while Artemis spoke to her, her massive bow in both hands.

 _Where are we?_ I thought.

"The Hunters of Artemis's campsite," Niobe said, appearing next to me. "March 21, 1992."*

 _Why are we here? What does that have to…o-o-o-h._

Out of the trees, another Niobe appeared. In an instant all the Hunters were on their feet, bows trained at the newcomer. Artemis rose to her feet, eyes blazing with fury. She walked over to Niobe. "Niobe, why are you here?"

"I come bearing a message from Lord Hades," she said.

"Hmm. No doubt summoning me to Olympus. Very well, you may go."

"Actually," Niobe said, rising to her feet, "I have been asked to deliver this message personally. If you'll please come closer..."

Artemis narrowed her eyes, then sighed. "Very well, bring it here."

Niobe walked forward slowly, reaching into her robes with one hand. When she got close enough, she withdrew her hand, revealing a clear vial.

Artemis looked confused. "What are you—AAHHH!"

Niobe plunged her hand into Artemis's stomach, and the goddess erupted into white light. When the light faded, Artemis was laying on her back, and Niobe was gone.

"My lady!" Zoe cried. The Hunters rushed forward to check on her. She waved them off. "I am fine, Zoe. No serious harm was done."

Suddenly the scene changed again. This time we were in a small alleyway. Cars flashed by on either side. Then Niobe was there, appearing out of thin air. In her hand she held the vial, which was now half full of white night.

"I have it," she said, "you can come out now."

The shadows shifted. I could make out the silhouette of a large humanoid, but not his features. "Good. Let's finish this." His voice was thick and smooth.

Niobe nodded. "Are you ready? This won't exactly be painless."

He nodded. "Go ahead."

Niobe shoved the vial into his stomach, but he didn't explode. Instead, he cried out in agony and fell to his knees. Niobe pulled her hand free, some white mist trailing behind. She placed a cork on the vial.

"It's done. Everything's in place. Are you alright?"

He pushed himself to his feet. "Fine. Are you sure this will work?"

Niobe nodded. "Yes. A child will be born from the essence of you and Artemis. After that, we'll be able to use it as a weapon to destroy that wretched goddess and all those she holds dear."

"Good," said the man. "I must be going now."

"Farewell, my friend."

Before he could go, he stopped. "Don't let anything happen to my child, Niobe, or it'll be you who pays for it." Then he was gone.

Niobe uncapped the vial and held her hand out. The white mist floated out and formed a sort-of orb in her hand. She muttered a few words under her breath before she placed her hand against her abdomen. The light disappeared.

Niobe smiled and said, "Soon."

The dream shifted again. This time we were in a large room. Past-Niobe was laying on a bed, her stomach swollen. She was wearing a loose-fitting gown with both legs propped up on the mattress.

"Is that…" I began.

Niobe nodded. "In order for you to be born without fear of complications, I had to carry you myself."

I suddenly had an overwhelming urge to vomit. "So are you like…my second mother?"

She smiled. "I suppose I am."

I shuddered.

The door to the room was kicked open, and in came Apollo, wearing a-good gods!-white tank top, jean shorts, and a mullet. A golden bow was in his hand, and a quiver of arrows at his back. When he saw Niobe, his face morphed from anger to confusion to shock.

He knelt next to her. When she saw him, she smiled. "It's about time you got here." Then she cried out in pain as a golden light came from her body.

"Impossible…" Apollo whispered. He placed a hand on her stomach and closed his eyes. After a moment he gasped. "You…what've you done?"

She laughed before she gasped from pain. She grabbed his hand. "Listen to me, Apollo! You have to bring it to her…she'll keep it safe." She whispered in his ear, "Promise me, Apollo."

Apollo swallowed. "I promise. On the Styx."

Thunder rumbled outside.

Niobe smiled weakly, then cried out, "It's time! It's coming!"

Before Apollo could react, Niobe let out one massive shriek and the entire room was flooded with light. When the light faded there was nothing left on the bed but a crying baby. Niobe was gone.

Apollo reached out gently and picked the crying babe up. He gently wrapped it-me in a blanket that sat nearby. The crying stopped. Apollo turned and fled, taking the baby with him.

Then the dream faded, and Niobe and I were surrounded by darkness. "Do you see now?"

I scowled. "That's it? I was born to be a weapon?"

She nodded. "You were."

I scoffed. "Well, I'll never join you."

Niobe cocked her head. "Why not? You've no reason to join Olympus. Artemis was ignorant of you for your entire life. Apollo kept you isolated in a cabin for thirteen years and then forced you to come here when his secret was found out. Why join them?"

"Because I won't join you."

Niobe narrowed her eyes. "We'll speak again, and when we do, you'll see how cruel the Olympians can be."

She napped her fingers, and everything went dark.

-o-

When I woke up, everyone had already risen. I looked next to me and saw a black duffle bag labeled _Hunter._ I took a quick look inside and saw several changes of clothes, a toothbrush, a water bottle, and even a few candy bars (you rock, Apollo!). I threw on a new shirt and followed everyone else outside.

Breakfast was a fairly calm affair. We got our food, sat by table, sacrificed some food to our parents (or Apollo), and ate. After that we were allowed to do pretty much whatever we wanted until morning activities started.

Luke gave me a tour around for my first activity. He showed me the canoe lake, the combat arena, the archery range, and the woods surrounding the camp. When we were almost finished I noticed some kids from the Athena Cabin talking in hushed tones.

"What's with them?" I asked.

Luke looked where I was staring. "Oh. They're preparing for capture-the-flag."

"Capture-the-flag?"

"Yeah. Basically, there are two teams who each get a flag. The objective of the game is to steal the other team's flag while keeping yours safe."

"That sounds fun."

"It is, and we play every Friday."

"But…today's Friday."

"Yep! We're gonna have a blast."

Oh boy…

* * *

* On the official Riordan Wiki, Percy was said to be born in 1993, and since Hunter's around a year older than him, he would've been born on the Winter Solstice, December 21, 1993.

A/N: Ok everyone, if you enjoyed then _please_ leave a review so I know if I'm doing a good job so far. If you want to be alerted to when I update, then please favorite and follow. If you have any questions, then please either PM me or ask in a review and I will do my best to answer you. Finally, I want to ask you all a question: since this is going to cover all of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, should I write sequels based on the five books or should I just combine them into one massive story that's split up into five acts (Act I: The Lightning Thief, Act II: The Sea of Monsters, Act III: The Titan's Curse, Etc.)? Please let me know what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

 **The Game**

We had one more stop to make before the tour ended: the armory, where the camp weapons were made. I could hear it before I saw it. It looked like a strange cross between a locomotive and the Parthenon in Greece, with chimneys puffing smoke and waterwheels that turned in the stream. The door was wide open and I could see sparks flying from inside.

Luke led me inside and called out, "Hey, Beckendorf!"

One of the larger boys put down his blowtorch and took off his welding mask. Beckendorf, as it turned out, was an incredibly muscled guy with skin the color of mud. His arms were like a pro basketball player's, and his scowl probably could've melted ice.

"What's up, Luke?" His voice was deep, like he only used it when he needed to.

Luke thumped my shoulder. "New kid needs some equipment."

I scowled. "I have weapons."

Luke inclined his head. "Yeah, but not _armor._ Those fancy blades won't do much if your opponent gets a lucky hit in."

Beckendorf looked me up and down. "Claimed or undetermined?"

Undetermined," Luke said.

Beckendorf's scowl lessened. "Nice to meet you, new kid." He shook my hand. His hands were rough and calloused.

"Jeez," I said as I pulled my throbbing hand away, "what, do you punch rocks in your spare time?" That made him smile (but not by much).

"Beckendorf here is a son of Hephaestus," Luke said. "He spends most of his time working on our weapons."

"Your dad's the god of smiths?" I asked.

Beckendorf nodded. "The one and only." He pulled out a tape-measure and wrapped it around my waist. "Got any requests?"

"What do you mean?" I asked as he moved onto my arms.

"Your armor; you want anything special or just the default set?"

"Um…" I said, "can you make it light?" They both gave me a look. "What? I like to move around when I fight."

Beckendorf looked at Luke, who gave a shrug. Beckendorf shook his shoulders and said, "Alright," before moving down to my legs.

"We still on, Beck?" Luke asked.

The son of Hephaestus nodded. "Damn right."

"On for what?" I asked.

"An alliance," Luke said. "The Hermes cabin—that's you and me—are paired with the Hephaestus, Athena, and Apollo cabins."

"And who else is playing?" I asked.

"Dionysus, Demeter, Ares, and Aphrodite. They'll be trying to capture our flag, and we'll be trying to get theirs."

"While also trying to maim each other completely?"

"Yep!" they both said.

"Great…" I said, rolling my eyes.

-o-

"Where are we going now?" I asked. Luke led me to the cabins, though we walked right past the Hermes cabin.

"Cabin six," Luke said.

"The Athena cabin?"

"Yep," he said. "They're in charge of coming up with the strategy, so they're one of the most important players."

The Athena cabin was a big gray building with an owl on the door and white curtains covering the windows. There was a single blonde girl outside, reading a book.

"Annabeth!" Luke called.

The girl—Annabeth—looked up, almost dropping her book. "Oh, uh, h-hi, Luke."

Was she blushing?

Luke smiled. "How're the plans going?"

"Oh, they're going fine." She _is_ blushing.

"Cool." He gestured to me. "Annabeth Chase, meet Hunter…"

"Just Hunter," I said. Apollo never bothered to give me a last name, seeing as how he thought the concept was too "complicated."*

He shrugged. "Alright, Annabeth Chase, meet Just Hunter." He gestured to her. "Just Hunter, meet Annabeth Chase."

I nodded. "Nice to meet you."

She nodded back. "You too." She seemed to be analyzing my face. "Have you been claimed yet?"

I shook my head. "No, why?"

Luke spoke up: "I thought he might be Athena's, what with his eyes and all."

Annabeth narrowed her eyes. "They're more silver than gray."

"Silver?" Luke's tone was suspicious.

I quickly shrugged. "I know about as much about it as you do."

Luke didn't look convinced, but he shrugged. "If you say so. Well, Annabeth, we really should get going. She you at game-time."

She nodded. "See you." Then she went back to her book.

-o-

When we finished dinner, Luke led our cabin to the woods where the game would start. The two teams had split: one on the left, another on the right. Beckendorf came over with a large sack over his shoulder.

"Here you go," he said, dumping the bag's contents on the ground—armor.

I bent down and picked up a cuirass. "Thanks, Beckendorf."

He inclined his head. "Don't mention it; let's get you situated."

He helped me put on all my armor and strapped my daggers to my belt. My armor was light, but it still restricted my movement, though not by much. My helmet was large for me, with a horsehair plume on top. "There you are; I gotta go, see ya!"

"Bye!" I called after him.

Chiron clopped his hoof on the ground. "Heroes!" His voice carried over the crowd, shushing them. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be properly displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"

He spread his hands and a table full of equipment appeared: swords, shield, spears, warhammers, and even a mace or two. Kids ran forward and grabbed them, and Annabeth called, "Blue team, forward!"

We cheered and followed her. I felt someone place a hand on my shoulder—it was Luke.

"Hey," I said. "So what's the plan?"

"You're on perimeter defense," he said. "Stay down at the far end of the creek and make sure nobody gets by.

"That's it?"

He shrugged. "Basically." Then he sprinted to the front of the march, leaving me in the dust.

-o-

 _This suuucks,_ I thought to myself. I could hear the sounds of battle in the distance, but apparently nobody wanted to come to my neck of the woods. _Come on! I'm in the middle of the woods, the moon is rising, and I'm light as a feather! I could be going_ off _right now, but for some reason Luke thought it would be a good idea to put me on perimeter control._

I was beginning to consider abandoning my post when I heard a twig snap to my right. I spun to face the sound, hands on my knife hilts, when I saw the person responsible.

She was a girl, that much was obvious—her build was thin and lithe, like she could run a marathon and still have energy to burn. She was wearing bronze armor and a closed helm with a blue plume on top. A sword hilt poked up over her right shoulder.

"Light armor," she observed. Her voice was echoey inside her helmet.

"Light on my feet," I shot back.

Her body language relaxed, and I could tell she was smiling under her helm. "Care to prove that?" She unsheathed her sword—a double edged shortsword with a small crossguard and leather studded handle.

"I'm game"—I pulled out my knives and gave them a quick twirl—"if you are."

She charged me with an overhanded swing. I brought my daggers up in an attempt to deflect her blade, but in the second our blades touched she kicked me in the leg and knocked me off balance. She swung her blade in an attempt to disarm my left arm, but I used my momentum to roll away and come up in a defensive position.

She hummed. "Not bad." She gripped her sword with two hands. "You new here?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

We came together again; I caught her blade with my left one and slashed forward with my right, but she caught my wrist and swung me around. I tripped on a rock and crashed back-first into a tree.

"You brought a knife to a sword fight," she said. "Not a great plan, new kid."

I rose and charged forward. She swung in a wide arc—maybe planning on decapitating me, I don't know—and I ducked and put my foot behind her feel. I shoved her with my shoulder and she fell back with an "Oof."

I pointed my dagger at her. "Give up?"

"Not a chance." She swept my leg out from under me with her foot and I slammed into the ground, seeing stars. We both got to our feet and regarded each other for a second before we both raised our blades and—heard the sound of a conch horn blowing.

We both turned just in time to see Luke rushing across the stream, the flag turning from a boar's head on a red field to a caduceus on a silver field. People from all over emerged and began to carry Luke on their shoulders.

"Not bad, new kid," she said. I turned. She had taken off her helmet, exposing her long blonde hair and pretty blue eyes.

"Hunter," I said.

"What?"

"My name's Hunter, not 'new kid,'" I explained.

.

She smiled and stuck her hand out. "Nice to meet you, Hunter, I'm Anna. Short for Annabelle, but don't you _dare_ call me that."

I shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Anna, daughter of…"

"Aphrodite," she said.

My eyes widened. "Seriously?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Yeah. Why?"

I shrugged. "Nothing, it's just, well, I expected the Aphrodite kids to be obsessed with makeup and such, not people fighting in the woods."

Her face darkened. "Don't believe every stereotype you hear, new kid."

I held my hands up. "Sorry?"

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it; come on, we'll be expected at the campfire."

-o-

The campfire was pretty cool. The Apollo kids got a hold of some musical instruments and began to play, though it wasn't _quite_ the same as their father.

 _I swear, Apollo, if you play_ I'm Walking on Sunshine _at seven-thirty in the morning_ one more time _I'm gonna shove that lyre of yours where the sun don't shine._

 _You can't stifle my creativity!_

 _Watch me!_

After fifteen minutes one of the Hermes kids (who totally wasn't me) threw a marshmallow at an Ares boy, who threw his back, and that started an epic food fight that only ended when a stray marshmallow somehow ended up on Chiron's forehead.

Luke led us to bed, and I curled up in my sleeping bag in the corner, staring out the window at the moon. _I think,_ I thought, _that I'm gonna like it here._

* * *

* Back in Ancient Greece, it was almost unheard of for people to have last names, and since Hunter was raised by a Greek god, Apollo would find the concept of having a last name to be alien.

A/N: I'm so sorry about the long wait, guys, but college applications and midterms have really been kicking my butt (not to mention I'm writing another story on this site * **cough** go check it out **cough*** )

Have no idea when I'll update again, so just be patient, please. Please leave a review as it cures writer's block and honestly just makes my day; follow and favorite to be alerted to when I update next.

Bye!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

 **Fights**

"Where are we going?" I whispered to a kid with brown hair.

"Archery range," he said back. "Apollo's cabin is giving lessons."

I perked up at that. "Thanks…"

"Connor," he said. "Connor Stoll, son of Hermes."

I snickered. "Hermes has a kid with the last name Stoll?"

He looked at me strangely. "What's so funny about that?"

I stopped laughing. "You know…Hermes, god of thieves…your last name is Stoll."

He raised an eyebrow. "And?"

I coughed. "Nothing."

"Ooookay; I see my brother, I'll see you later." He ran ahead before I could say a goodbye.

The archery range was filled with boys and girls that were either shooting arrows, or watching their siblings shook arrows. _They all have his hair and eyes,_ I thought to myself. _Hopefully they don't have his ability to be annoying._

A tall boy jogged over. "Hey, Luke!" he said as he came to a stop. He—like his siblings—had Apollo's hair and eyes, though he had lighter skin, likely from his mother.

Luke shook this new boy's hand. "Hey, Lee, we all set?"

Lee brightened. "Yep! This way."

He led us to a long line of targets that were segregated from the rest of the Apollo cabin. When we were all lined up and quiet he stood in front of the targets and shouted in his loudest voice: "Hello, Hermes cabin, and welcome to archery 101! My name is Lee Fletcher, and I'll be your instructor today." He gestured to two more boys who were off to the side. "This is Will Solace and Michael Yew, and they'll be my assistants for today."

"Assistants?" the one called Michael Yew said. "You said we were your co-trainers!"

Lee cleared his throat. "Anyway, there are a few rules here. One: no pointing arrows at other campers. Two: always listen to your instructors. Three: wait until the range is clear before retrieving your arrows. Failure to adhere to these rules will result in immediate expulsion. Am I understood?"

We gave a murmur of agreement.

"I said, am I understood?"

We all shouted this time, and he nodded. "Good. Grab your bow"—he pointed to a table against the wall—"and your arrows here. If you don't get one, buddy up with someone who does. Begin!"

I hurried over and grabbed the best one. The balance was terrible and the drawstring wasn't tight enough, so it'd never go as far as it could. I would've used my regular bow, but that would've revealed my identity, and that was not going to happen.

I stepped up to the firing line and drew the drawstring back until it touched my cheek. I leveled my stance and spread my legs. I straightened my back and closed one eye. I heard Apollo's voice in my ear, back from when I first learned to fire a bow.

 _Easy, Hunter. Relax your bow arm, bring the drawstring back until your thumb touches your cheek, just under your eye._

I let out a breath.

 _Focus on where you want the arrow to go. Your body will so the rest._

I fired.

The arrow shot from the bow and embedded itself in the bullseye.

 _Good shot, kiddo._

"Nice shot."

I turned and saw Lee standing there, a small smile on his face. "Thanks," I said.

I pointed with his chin. "Do that again."

I nodded. "Okay." I drew another arrow and loaded it into my bow. The second arrow split the first one down the middle.

Lee whistled. "Not bad, but let's see how you do at a longer distance."

When everyone stopped firing Will ran out and moved my target back by about twenty five feet. People were beginning to watch now, and I took a deep breath to calm myself.

 _I can't do it while you're watching, Apollo!_

 _Why not?_

 _Because…Because I don't like people looking at me!_

 _Well tough, kid, because I'm not moving._

 _Please?_

 _Hunter, it doesn't matter if it's just me or a thousand people. When you're shooting arrows, there are only two things that matter: you, and the target. Let everything else fade away into nothing. Try it again._

 _O—Okay_

 _That's it, take it steady; let go aaaaand bullseye! I knew you could do it, kiddo!_

"Whenever you're ready," Lee said.

"What?" I asked, confused.

Lee nodded. "Shoot whenever you're ready."

"Oh! Right." I got another arrow and aimed. My arrow split the previous two in half. Again and again I shot, and I never got outside the red lines around the center. People were cheering now, all their attention on me, but I didn't notice.

When my quiver was empty Lee came over and thumped me on the back. "I'm impressed, Hunter. Not many newbies can get ten bullseyes on their first day."

"He must be one of us!" an Apollo camper shouted. Their siblings gave shouts of agreement.

Lee laughed. "I wouldn't be surprised, but we'll have to wait for Dad to claim him first."

"Shouldn't be too long," Will Solace said. "Dad never takes long to claim one of us."

 _Oh if only you knew the truth,_ I thought to myself.

We continued practicing until the conch horn blew and Luke signaled us all into a line. "Let's move!" he called and we all followed, though I gave a short wave to Lee and Will, who grinned back.

 _Looks like I managed to make a few new friends,_ I thought.

-o-

The Ares kids got me during my free time.

"Get him!" one of them yelled.

I had been hanging around the edge of the forest, and had been distracted by the sheer beauty of the trees. Two of them—a boy and a girl—grabbed me under the arms and pushed me onto my knees. The third one—a beefy kid with a crewcut—stood over me, massaging his fists.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

He snarled down at me. "Don't play dumb with me, punk."

"Why not, isn't it your favorite game?"

He growled and grabbed my chin. "You're the one who threw a marshmallow at my eye last night."

I frowned. "Are you sure? I think I'd remember hitting someone as ugly as you."

He punched me twice in the head. After the second punch my vision went a little fuzzy and I heard a small buzzing sound in my ears, like someone had lit off a firecracker right next to me. I could see the guy's lips moving, but I could only hear the tail end of his sentence.

"—cream you into the dirt."

I tried to struggle, but his siblings were larger than me and heavier by a few dozen pounds. The dude standing over me raised his fist, and I heard the sound of a blade sliding out of a sheath.

"Are we going to have a problem, Damien?" came a familiar voice. The Ares kid—Damien—turned, and I looked past his leg.

Anna was standing there; one hand was on her sword and the other was on her hip. She gave the blade a quick twirl and cocked her head. "Well?"

Damien turned. "I—"

Anna's blade came up and pressed against his cheek. "You'll what?" He winced, and I understood that she had dragged her blade slowly across his cheek, likely cutting him.

"I'll leave," he said, voice shaking.

Anna lowered her blade. "Good choice."

Damien waved his hand at his siblings and they let me go, dropping me to the floor. Anna watched them until they were gone and then she walked over to me. "You okay?"

I dapped my finger under my nose to see if I was bleeding—I wasn't. "I'm fine."

"You got a death wish, new kid?"

I stood and brushed myself off. "What?"

She sheathed her blade. "Picking a fight with an Ares kid, especially three Ares kids, is an incredibly stupid thing to do."

I scoffed. "I could've taken them," I said.

She laughed. "You really think so?" She waved at my waist. "Without any weapons?"

I blushed. "Why did you help me?"

She trailed her eyes up and down my body. "Because there's something about you—something that interests me."

"At least take me out to dinner first," I muttered.

She giggled. "You're funny, new—Hunter. Your name is Hunter."

"Dang right," I said, " _Annabelle."_

She scowled. "I told you not to call me that."

"And I told you not to call me new kid."

She rolled her eyes. "Fair enough." She turned and began to walk away. She got maybe three steps before she stopped and looked over her shoulder. "You coming?"

"Where?" I asked.

She pointed. "The training arena."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why would I go there?"

"Because those Ares kids are gonna keep coming back for more, and unless you want to be Swirlie King, you'll need to learn how to fight."

I scoffed. "I know how to fight. I think I proved that well enough last night."

She shrugged. "Fine. But if you feel like improving, come see me." She walked away, leaving me alone. I glanced around and saw nobody was near. I looked up at the sun and knew that I still had a little wile until my next activity, so I began to run to the Hermes cabin.

 _Maybe some sword training wouldn't be so bad,_ I thought to myself.

-o-

Anna and the rest of her siblings were there, though only a handful of the boys were participating. The girls were hanging to the side, gossiping. When they saw me they erupted into giggles and hushed whispers. Finally one of them stood up and approached.

"Hey, there, cutie," she said, batting her eyelashes. "What can we do for you?"

I felt my cheeks grow warm. "Um, I'm here for sword training." _Smooth,_ some part of my brain said sarcastically.

She giggled and linked an arm around my elbow. "Oh, why bother? No need to get all sweaty and gross—why not come over here and hang out with me?"

I gulped. "Uh…I don't…um." _Wow, you are on a roll right now!_

She smiled. "Come on, sweetie, it'll be—"

"Problem, Drew?" a new voice asked.

The one who had spoken was a slim girl with brown hair and blue eyes. She was wearing eyeliner, but not so much that it was obvious. A sword was strapped to her waist. She raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

Drew scoffed. "Back off, Silena, this one's mine."

Silena rolled her eyes and looked at me. "Can we help you?"

My face brightened. "Yeah, I—"

"He's with me," said Anna, jogging over to us. When she saw Drew's grip on my arm, she scowled. "Let him go, Drew, he doesn't want anything to do with you."

Drew humphed. "Like you know what he wants. Why don't you go back to your sword training, honey?"

Anna inclined her head. "Good idea. Come along, Hunter."

I wriggled my arm out from Drew's hold and jogged over to her. "Oh thank gods," I muttered.

Drew stamped her foot and went back to her gossip group.

I turned to Anna. "I could kiss you right now."

She giggled. "While I appreciate the gesture, that won't be necessary." She gestured to Silena. "Hunter, this is Silena, head of the Aphrodite cabin."

Silena stuck out her hand. "Nice to meet you." I took it and shook it. "Likewise."

"Hunter's here to train," Anna explained. "Got in a fight with a couple of Ares kids."

Silena looked at me with concern. "You got a death wish or something?"

I shook my head. "That's why I'm here."

Silena nodded. "Then in that case, I'll leave you two alone." Then she walked off.

"She seems nice," I said.

Anna nodded. "She really is." She took her blade out. "Ready?" I took out my knives. She smiled and said, "Let's start off with some of the basics."

She spent the rest of free time showing me how to effectively block, parry, thrust, and cut when it came to using knives, and after a while we started sparring. Granted, I still lost nine times out of ten, but I was learning.

The conch horn blew over the camp. "Not bad, Hunter," Anna said, smirking. "Same time tomorrow?"

I smiled. "I'm down."

She nodded. "Good. See you then!"

-o-

My last activity before bed was Greek Mythology with Annabeth. I was pretty knowledgeable when it came to myths surrounding Apollo (I wonder why) and Artemis, so Annabeth decided to teach me more about things I didn't know like the Titans and some of the minor gods.

"Wait," I said, confused, "so your mom turned a lady into a spider because…she was jealous?"

Annabeth crossed her arms. "She was not jealous!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because"—I opened my Greek Mythology book to the story of Arachne—"it says right here that Athena was forced to admit defeat and in her righteous fury, she turned Arachne into a spider. Sounds like jealousy to me."

Annabeth huffed. "We'll _I'd_ call it justice! Arachne desecrated the gods and was punished for it."

"You're biased," I said.

Annabeth scowled. "So what if I am? Let's move onto another story."

I learned about how Dionysus learned to create wine next. "Wait, so if Dionysus invented wine, how could Zeus have fed his dad a mixture of wine and mustard to free his siblings? Did everyone just forget how to make wine?"

Annabeth shrugged. "I had the same kind of questions when I showed up, and Chiron gave me a very helpful answer."

"And that would be?"

"Don't think about it too much."

I rolled my eyes. "Wow, that was _sooo_ helpful." She kicked my foot. We a few minutes reading silently to ourselves, but I broke that silence when I asked: "Hey, Annabeth, you're friends with Luke, right?"

She blushed. "I guess so. Why?"

I put my book down. "Then how did he get…" I trailed a finger down my cheek.

She sighed and put her book down. "Listen, I'm gonna tell you, but you can't say it around Luke, okay?" I nodded. "Good." She looked around, like she was making sure nobody was listening in; then she leaned in close. "He got it on a quest."

"What's a quest?" I blurted out.

"Shhh!" she hissed, covering my mouth with her hands. "You can't say that so loud!"

"Why?" I whispered, pulling her hands away.

"Because"—she looked around again—"Luke's quest didn't go well."

"What happened?"

She sighed. "It happened a few years ago. Luke's dad, Hermes, came down from Olympus and tasked Luke with retrieving a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides."

"Like Heracles?"

She nodded. "Exactly like Heracles. Luke was really excited too; he saw it as his chance to prove himself to his father."

"And what happened?"

"He failed." Annabeth's voice was hollow. "His companions died, and he came back emptyhanded."

"Then how did he get his scar?"

"The guardian of the Tree of Immortality, Ladon, gave it to him. Luke managed to lop off one of the creature's claws, but he would've died if he didn't run. After he came back…well…nobody was given any more quests; Chiron forbade anyone from being given one or from requesting one. It's sort of become taboo, talking about it, you know?"

I nodded. "I guess." I gave her a look. "You want a quest, don't you?"

She nodded. "Since I was seven, back when I first arrived at Camp with Luke and Thalia."

"Who's Thalia?"

"A friend of mine—daughter of Zeus. You see that tree up there?" She pointed to a large oak tree sitting atop the hill. I nodded. "That's her."

"What?" I asked, trying to see if she was joking.

"Hades sent monsters after us, Hunter. Kids weren't meant to be born of the Big Three—Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. Some pact they made after World War II. Anyway, Thalia sacrificed her life to buy Luke and me time to escape, and her dad turned her into a pine tree out of pity."

I nodded. "But you still want a quest, don't you?"

She nodded. "Chiron promised that a new kid would come, and I'd finally have a chance to go on a quest." She gave me a hard look.

I raised my hands. "Don't look at me, Annabeth, I'm not that kid."

She sighed. "I thought not." The conch horn blew. Annabeth stood up and closed her book. "Come on, dinner's ready."

As I watched her walk away, I couldn't help but wonder who that knew kid would be, or when he—or she—would arrive. Deep down, I think a part of me would also hope for a quest, though I had no idea when that time would come.

Months passed, and people were beginning to doubt if Apollo really was my godly parent, though that was the least of my troubles. Zeus's Master Bolt had been stolen when a group of older campers visited Mount Olympus. We all trained harder, longer and more ferociously. Anna and I stood on even ground when we dueled, and I watched every new camper for signs of them being the "special one" Annabeth had spoken of, though none seemed to fit the bill.

Until _he_ came…

A boy named Percy Jackson.

* * *

A/N: Ok everyone, that's another chapter done. If any of you have read my Broken Vows series, then you should have recognized a familiar face. For those of you who didn't, don't worry too much, he didn't do anything major in that series anyway. Please leave a review and favorite and follow to be alerted to when I update. If you have any questions, please leave them in a review or PM me. Bye!


	5. Chapter 5

Riley1506106: You're making him to social. A son of Artemis should inherit her aloofness and independence. So he should be more broody and quiet basically. Also please describe his physical appearance idk what he looks like.

While I do agree that a son of Artemis should inherit her independence, I don't know how to make Hunter broody without him coming off as emo or anti-social. Hunter is independent, though, and can still operate on his own. However, he was also raised by Apollo, who is arguable the most social god on Olympus, so I also think that Hunter should receive some of his traits as well. Also, Hunter's simply adapting to the situation. He knows that it would be foolish not to get along with people he'll essentially be spending the rest of his life with, so he's trying to put his best foot forward.

Finally, Hunter had black hair and silver eyes and a lithe build. For a more in-depth description, go re-read chapter 1. Zoe's POV gives a description of what he looks like at the very beginning.

 **Chapter Five**

 **The One**

The day Percy Jackson came was a day like any other…

I had dreamed of wolves, that night; I dreamed that I was the leader of a pack, and that we were on the hunt. The wind whipped past my ears and ruffled my fur, and I loved every second of it. A fresh scent caught my nose, and I directed my pack toward it. Trees and bushes rushed past, and I ducked and turned to avoid crashing into them.

A herd of deer were ahead of us. When they caught out scent, they turned and fled, thundering though the grassy woods. One of them—a doe—was slower than the rest, so my pack of less than twelve targeted her.

Two males bit at her ankles while another three flanked her, preventing any escape. I tensed my muscles and sprinted ahead and turned, lunging and sinking my teeth into the doe's neck. She sputtered and fell, and the rest of the pack lunged.

Her meat was juicy, much more-so than usual. I ate my fill of her meat and blood and stepped back, allowing more of my kin to eat their share. The moon was full and bright, bathing me with moonbeams. I lifted my head and howled as hard as my lungs would allow, and slowly, my pack joined in.

We shouted our cries to the heavens, and our voices carried for miles. We were strong, and we screamed that fact for all the birds, mammals, and fish to hear. We were predators; we were conquerors; we were free; we were—

I woke up with a sudden pain in my leg. "Shut up!" someone said.

I rubbed my leg and looked around. It was still dark out, but I could see that everyone in the Hermes cabin was awake and looking at me.

"What?" I asked, unsure of why they were all looking at me.

"Shut your freaking mouth; some of us are trying to sleep!" someone said. I couldn't see who they were, but their voice was male.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You were howling," a girl said groggily.

"I was?"

"Yes!" someone else said. "Will you please shut up so some of us can sleep?"

I swallowed. "Um, sure; sorry." I turned over quickly and buried my face in my pillow, certain that I was warm enough to cause it to catch fire. There were sounds of people shuffling around in bed, and a few minutes later there were sounds of low snoring and the occasional sleep-talker.

I sighed and closed my eyes again, hoping that I would fall into a dreamless sleep this time, though I did feel a bit of excitement as I thought about having another dream like that.

-o-

The next time I woke, it was to the sound of the conch horn blowing. I rolled out of bed just in time to get kicked in the face.

"Sorry!" the girl responsible said, strapping on her sword belt. Then she was out the door, running with most of the other campers.

I got my knives and boots on and rushed out the door as well. Most of the campers had assembled by the Big House. I pushed my way through the crowd and saw Grover unconscious on the ground. I picked him up and began to carry him inside. Annabeth and Chiron were also carrying someone inside—a boy with dark hair.

"Set him down here," said an Apollo boy.

I placed Grover down on one of the plush couches and stepped back. "What happened?" I asked Annabeth.

She shook her head. "I don't know for sure," she said, "but, Hunter, he killed the Minotaur."

"What?" I asked incredulously. "You can't be serious."

She nodded. "It's true." She let out a long sigh. "Look, why don't you go back to cabin eleven? I'll fill you in on everything tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Annabeth's right," Chiron said. "I was just about to dismiss the other campers anyway."

I looked at Grover. "Okay. First thing, though."

"Of course."

The next few days were kind of a blur. Apparently this new kid—Percy Jackson was his name—had slain the Minotaur with its own horn, though only after it had killed his mother. Rumors were spreading like wildfire, saying that he was apparently 'Big Three' material. I scoffed. _He just got lucky,_ I told myself. _That's all; and there's no way I'm jealous either. Yeah! Beginner's luck, nothing more._

I didn't meet Percy until after he'd woken up.

Chiron had approached me, Percy in tow, and asked:

"Hunter, I have archery practice in five minutes; would you be willing to show Percy around?"

And so I said:

"Sure."

-o-

"Wait…you guys have _sword fights_?"

I glanced over my shoulder. Percy Jackson was staring at the arena, where I could see some of the Ares kids hacking apart the straw dummies with their swords and spears. One kid even had a javelin.

I shrugged. "Yeah, but they don't get bloody very often. Last time it happened was…oh, I don't know…three weeks ago?" I squinted at the _Days Since Incident_ sign that hung proudly next to the entrance, which had _216_ _24_ in red paint. _At least I hope that it's paint._

Percy gulped. "Has anyone…died?"

I pursed my lips. "No, we have pretty good healers here." I pointed to the Apollo cabin, which shone proudly in the sunlight. _Biggest eyesore here if ever there was one._ "Their dad's Apollo, god of medicine. They make sure nobody dies if one of us gets hurt. You said your mom was the mortal?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah."

"Then your dad's probably the god, though there is some possibility that your godly parent is female."

"What?"

"Gods are…fluent," I tried to explain. "Shape and form doesn't really apply to them. There's this one girl here, name's Kayla, whose dad is Apollo and some archery coach up in Canada. Basically, gods are weird. Want me to tell you about the time Zeus got with a bull or how Poseidon and Demeter had a horse baby?"

Percy seemed to turn a little green and his face scrunched up. "No thanks."

I laughed. "Suit yourself. Come on."

"Wait," he said suddenly.

"What is it?" I asked.

"What's that?" he said, pointing to cabin three.

"Cabin three," I explained, "Poseidon's place. Nobody stays there because Poseidon doesn't have kids."

"Why not?" Percy asked, not taking his eyes away from the cabin.

I glanced between him and the old building. "Because of some pact he, Zeus and Hades made after World War II; something to do with a prophecy."

"What prophecy?" he asked, turning to face me.

I shrugged. "Couldn't tell you; Chiron probably knows all about it, so if you're really curious, you can probably talk to him."

 _Black hair, green eyes, sun kissed skin,_ I observed. _But still, there's no way—then again, he_ did _kill the minotaur all on his own, which I certainly couldn't do. No. There's probably a good reason for this._ I chewed my bottom lip. _Though it probably wouldn't hurt to keep an eye out._

"Come on," I said, waving my arm. "I'll introduce you to everyone."

The Hermes cabin got really quiet when I pushed open the door and moved out of the way for Percy to enter. Not gonna lie, I snickered a bit when he stumbled over the doorway. "Percy Jackson, meet cabin eleven; cabin eleven, meet Percy Jackson."

"Regular or undetermined?" Connor asked.

"Undetermined," I said.

Everyone groaned.

"Now, now, campers," Luke said, stepping forward. "That's what we're here for. Welcome, Percy. You can have that spot on the floor, right over there."

"This is Luke," I said. "He's head honcho 'round here."

"Until you're claimed," Luke said. "Then you'll be either moved to one of the Twelve's cabins, or, if your parent is a minor god, you'll stay here."

"How long will it take until I get claimed?"

I cut in: "Depends on your parent. People like Apollo and Athena typically claim pretty quick, but people like Ares and Hermes tend to take a little while."

"Why?"

I shrugged. "Reasons vary. Sometimes they're busy, or sometimes they forget they had kids."

"Hey," Luke warned.

I shrugged. "It's the truth." I tapped Percy's wrist. "Come on, I'll take you to see the volleyball courts."

"But I've already—"

He couldn't say anymore because I was already pulling him out of the cabin, the sounds of the other Hermes kids laughing followed us.

I did my best to explain how the Greek gods still existed, how monsters came back over and over again, how we had to keep killing them, and why we couldn't leave the camp. Just as I was finishing up, Clarisse appeared out of nowhere and cornered us with a few of her beefy friends.

"Well! A newbie!" she chortled gleefully.

"Beat it Clarisse," I warned. "Go polish Lamer again."

She bristled. "Sure thing, wolf boy. Maybe I'll use it to pulverize you!"

" _Go jump in the canoe lake,_ " I said in Ancient Greek. "We'll destroy you Friday."

"Like you could. Who's the runt?"

"Percy Jackson," I said, "meet Clarisse, daughter of Ares."

"Like…the war god?" Percy asked.

Clarisse sneered. "You got a problem with that?"

"No," Percy said. "It explains the bad smell."

My eyebrows rose. _New kid's got cheek._

Clarisse, however, wasn't so amused. She growled and said, "We've got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy."

"Percy."

"Whatever. Come on, I'll show you."

"Clarisse—" I tried to say.

"Stay out of it, wolfie."

I bristled, but didn't make another move. _New kid's gotta learn to take care of himself_ , I thought. _You don't survive long on handouts. Not in this life._

Percy handed me his minotaur horn, but the second he did, Clarisse pounced. She grabbed him by the neck and started to drag him toward the bathrooms. I followed behind, listening to her friends' shrieks of laughter. Percy was struggling, but not very successfully. She got him on his knees and began to push his head toward the toilet bowl.

I gripped the hilt of one of my knives tightly. _If this starts getting excessive, I'm jumping in,_ I promised myself. _The two other girls are big and bulky, so they probably aren't very quick._ Since it would be close-quarters if it came to violence, I was pretty certain I could win. After that, I just had to—

Suddenly Clarisse was on her back, her face soaking wet. The toilet had exploded and was showering her with toilet muck. Her friends tried to jump in, but then the other toilets exploded too, pushing all three of them out of the bathroom.

The water shut off abruptly, and I realized with horror that I was drenched too. But the most surprising part was the fact that Percy was somehow sitting in the only dry part of the floor.

 _It can't be…_

"You're dead, new boy," Clarisse was sputtering through drenched hair and sopping clothes. "You are totally dead."

"You want to gargle with toilet water again, Clarisse? Close your mouth," Percy said.

Clarisse had to be dragged back to cabin five by her friends, while the other campers swerved around her to avoid getting kicked.

I stared at Percy with wide eyes.

"What?" he demanded. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking…" I said, "that Annabeth will want to have a talk with you. You could prove useful in capture the flag. Come on."

As I led Percy away from the flooded bathrooms, one thought kept reverberating in my mind:

 _Percy Jackson is a son of Poseidon._

* * *

A/N: Okay, everyone, please leave a review as it helps with inspiration, and also please favorite and follow to be alerted every time I update this fanfic.

Bye!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

 **The Flag**

"You're sure?" Annabeth asked. I had just finished showing off the rest of Camp and had left Percy with Luke for sword training. Hopefully he'd have a few extra bruises by the end of the day; practice makes perfect.

"Absolutely," I said back. "He destroyed the bathroom, flushed Clarisse and her thugs out the door, and he _didn't get wet._ Do you know any other god who could do that?"

Annabeth's eyes got stormy, like she was in deep thought. "Then Percy's in danger; if Zeus or Hades realize who he is—"

"—they'll kill him." I shook my head. "I'll keep an eye on him."

"Good," Annabeth said. Her nose wrinkled. "Oh, and, Hunter? Go change. You smell like a sewer."

-o-

Percy seemed to get used to life at Camp, if his mood was any indication. Before, he seemed off-put and sad, but now he was somewhat cheerful and made efforts to adjust to life here. He was even pretty excited about the upcoming capture the flag game.

That night at dinner, I overheard him and Grover talking. (I wasn't eavesdropping; why would you even think that?)

"…heroes really gone on quests to the Underworld?" Percy asked.

 _Underworld? This should be interesting._ I slowed down my chewing. (Still not eavesdropping.)

"Sometimes," Grover said. "Orpheus. Heracles. Houdini."

"And have they ever returned somebody from the dead?"

"No. Never. Orpheus came close…Percy, you're not seriously thinking—"

"No. I was just wondering. So…a satyr is always assigned to guard a demigod?"

Grover studied Percy carefully. _He's planning to go to the Underworld,_ I realized. _He wants to rescue his mother._ I could sort of understand that. If Apollo was in danger, I'm sure I'd do whatever it took to help him. _But what about_ your _mother?_ a voice seemed to ask.

I scowled. _I don't have a mother._ Sure, Artemis had been one of my creators, but she didn't _know_ I was created, so what does that make her? If I had to put a label on her, I'd classify Artemis as "one of the halves of the whole that is me," and leave it at that. Heck, _Leto_ was more of a mother to me than Artemis.

"…tries to keep an eye on them, since they could cause really huge problems," Grover was saying.

"And you found me. Chiron said you thought I might be something special."

Grover paled and swallowed. "I didn't…Oh, listen, don't think like that. If you you'd never _ever_ be allowed a quest. You're probably a child of Hermes. Or maybe even one of the minor gods, like Nemesis, the god of revenge. Don't worry, okay?"

 _You're wrong, Grover. He's Big Three._ I looked at the pine tree on Half-Blood Hill. _Just like Thalia._

-o-

Later that night everyone had gathered for capture the flag.

When the plates were cleared away, the conch horn sounded and we all stood at our tables. Campers yelled and cheered as Annabeth and two of her siblings ran into the pavilion carrying a silk banner. It was about ten feet long, glistening gray, with a painting of a barn owl above an olive tree. From the opposite side of the pavilion, Clarisse and her buddies ran in with another banner, of identical size, but gaudy red, painted with a bloody spear and a boar's head.

The teams were announced. Athena had made an alliance with Apollo and Hermes, the two biggest cabins. Apparently, privileges had been traded—shower times, chore schedules, the best slots for activities—in order to win support. Ares had allied themselves with everybody else: Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus.

Chiron hammered his hoof on the marble. "Heroes!" he announced. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"

He spread his hands, and the tables were suddenly covered with equipment: helmets, bronze swords, spears, oxhide shields coated in metal.

"Whoa," Percy said. "We're really supposed to use these?"

Luke looked at him as if I were crazy. "Unless you want to get skewered by your friends in cabin five. Here—Chiron thought these would fit. You'll be on border patrol."

Percy's shield was almost the size of his body, and his helmet had a large blue plume on the top. As always, the other team had a red plume.

"Blue team, forward!" Annabeth yelled.

We cheered and shook our swords and followed her down the path to the south woods. The red team yelled taunts at us as they headed off toward the north.

Percy jogged up ahead to join Annabeth while I fell behind with Luke. "Hey."

He nodded. "You feeling alright?"

I rolled my shoulders. "Peachy. Where am I?"

"Border patrol," he said. You'll be keeping watch over Percy. Clarisse will most likely be going after him."

"So he's a decoy," I said, "and I'm his babysitter. Do I need to hold his hand, too?"

"Just make sure he doesn't die," Luke said sternly.

"Yes sir, oh captain my captain."

I was stationed on a little ridge a little bit away from where Percy was staying. He kept fidgeting with his armor and his arm was shaking from the weight of his shield. It was dark out, and the moon was full. I breathed deep and relished in the fresh air. Before I came to Camp I'd spend nights like this with Winter, hunting rabbits or running through the trees, the wind in my hair. I would laugh, and Winter would bark and howl, and after that she'd curl up next to me and I'd fall asleep with my face buried in her fur.

If I closed my eyes I could almost feel her, even all those miles away…

A conch horn blew far away, and I heard whoops and yells in the woods, the clanking of metal, kids fighting. A blue-plumed ally from Apollo raced past Percy like a deer, leaped through the creek, and disappeared into enemy territory.

My helmet was tucked under my arm and my knives were at my waist. I would have summoned my bow, but there was no sign of—

Behind me, a stick cracked.

 _Speak of the devil…_

I turned and saw Anna step out of the shadows. She held her sword in one hand, twirling it leisurely as she approached. Her armor was polished and sleek looking. Her helmet showed enough of her face for me to see that she was smiling but covered enough to keep her protected.

I smiled and began to walk toward her. When we were about ten feet apart we stopped and regarded each other. "Fancy meeting you here," I said.

She shrugged. "Clarisse's out for that new kid, and I saw you were nearby, so…"

"Ah, a distraction, then."

She cocked her head. "What can I say? You were just so tempting over here, all on your lonesome."

From behind me, I heard, "Cream the punk!" and saw Clarisse and five of her goons explode out of the woods, surrounding Percy. I began to turn when I felt a blade touch my shoulder.

"Where're you going?" Anna asked, smiling.

"My teammate needs help, so if you'll excuse me…"

She turned me with her blade. "Uh-uh. See, I gotta keep you busy, so you aren't going anywhere."

I smirked and turned back to face her. "Then I guess I'll have to beat you ASAP and _then_ kick Clarisse's butt."

She raised an eyebrow. "Someone's cocky."

I inclined my head. "How can I not be? I mean, I'm me."

"Fine then"—she raised her sword—"show me what you can do."

I nodded. "I hope you'll forgive me if I smudge your makeup." I put on my helmet. "Here we go." I drew my knives.

She came fast. I sidestepped her first attack and parried her second with one of my knives. I slashed with my other one, scraping the edge against her helmet, sparks emitting from where the metal scrapped against each other. She stepped back and came on again.

I knocked her blade back with my knives twice and pushed against her side with my shoulder on the third. She nearly fell but managed to regain her footing. We circled each other for a few seconds, both of us studying each other for any openings.

I attacked first, sending one of my knives after her heart. She blocked with her sword, but I pushed my advantage; I was stronger than she was, and a little taller, too. Even if she was using a sword, two weapons are better than one.

Her sword scrapped against my chest, and I reeled back. She attacked again, but I slid my knife blade down her sword and angled it away from her. With my other hand I stabbed at her face, but when she tried to step away I put my foot behind her leg.

She fell to the ground hard, gasping as the breath was knocked out of her. I kicked her sword away and put a foot on her chest. "Yield."

Just then I heard yelling, elated screams, and I saw Luke racing toward the boundary line with the red team's banner lifted high. He was flanked by a couple of Hermes guys covering his retreat, and a few Apollos behind them, fighting off the Hephaestus kids.

"A trick!" Clarisse yelled. Her spear was broken, and most of her friends were on the ground. _Looks like Percy didn't need me after all._ "It was a trick."

They staggered after Luke, but it was too late. Everybody converged on the creek as Luke ran across into friendly territory. Our side exploded into cheers. The red banner shimmered and turned to silver. The boar and spear were replaced with a huge caduceus, the symbol of cabin eleven. Everybody on the blue team picked up Luke and started carrying him around on their shoulders. Chiron cantered out from the woods and blew the conch horn.

I stepped off of Anna and offered her my hand. "Good game?"

She laughed and took it. "Not bad, new kid."

I scowled. "Are you ever going to stop calling me that?"

"Probably not." She looked around. "Listen, I gotta go back to my team, but I'll see you around, yeah?"

I nodded. "Definitely." I smirked. "I mean, we gotta keep training if you wanna beat me."

She shook her head fondly as she walked away. "You beat me once time! _One—time."_

"And it wasn't the last!" I called after her. She gave me a certain hand gesture I'd rather not repeat and disappeared into the trees. I slid down the ridge and found Percy and Annabeth talking—Percy looked angry.

"You set me up," he said. "You put me here because you knew Clarisse would come after me, while you sent Luke around the flank. You had it all figured out."

Annabeth shrugged. "I told you. Athena always, _always_ has a plan."

"A plan to get me pulverized."

I came as fast as I could. I even left you a guard." She gestured to me. "It isn't my fault he didn't help."

"I had my own opponent to deal with," I said.

"See? I was about to jump in, but..." She shrugged. "You didn't need help." Then she noticed a gash on his arm. "How did you do that?"

"Sword cut," he said. "What do you think?"

"No. It _was_ a sword cut. Look at it."

The blood was gone. Where the huge cut had been, there was a long white scratch, and even that was fading. As we watched, it turned into a small scar, and disappeared.

"I—I don't get it," he said.

Annabeth looked down at Percy's feet, then at Clarisse's broken spear, and said, "Step out of the water, Percy."

"What—"

"Just do it."

He did, and nearly fell over, but I rushed forward and grabbed him under the shoulder. Annabeth and I exchanged a look.

"Oh, Styx," she cursed. "This is not good. I didn't want...I assumed it would be Zeus..."

Then a canine growl echoed near us. A howl ripped through the forest.

The campers' cheering died instantly. Chiron shouted, "Stand ready! My bow!" in Ancient Greek.

Annabeth drew her sword. I summoned my bow.

There on the rocks just above us, right where I had been a few minutes ago, was a black hound the size of a rhino, with lava-red eyes and fangs like daggers.

It was looking straight at Percy.

Annabeth screamed, "Percy, run!"

She tried to step in front of Percy, but the hound was too fast. It leaped over her—an enormous shadow with teeth—and just as it hit him, as he stumbled backward, there was a cascade of thwacking sounds, like forty pieces of paper being ripped one after the other. From the hound's neck sprouted a cluster of arrows; one of them was mine—a silvery shaft that caught in the moonlight. The monster fell dead at Percy's feet.

I put my bow away just as Chiron trotted up next to us, a bow in his hand, his face grim.

"Di immortales!" Annabeth said. "That's a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. They don't...they're not supposed to..."

"Someone summoned it," Chiron said. "Someone inside the camp."

Luke came over, the banner in his hand forgotten, his moment of glory gone.

Clarisse yelled, "It's all Percy's fault! Percy summoned it!"

"Be quiet, child," Chiron told her.

We watched the body of the hellhound melt into shadow, soaking into the ground until it disappeared.

"You're wounded," Annabeth told me. "Quick, Percy, get in the water."

"I'm okay," he said weakly. He didn't look good; his armor was ripped like copy paper, and he was bleeding badly.

"No, you're not," she said. "Chiron, watch this."

He stepped back into the creek, the whole camp gathering around him to watch. Instantly, the cuts on his chest closed up. Then something appeared over his head…

"Look, I—I don't know why," he said, trying to apologize. "I'm sorry..."

"Percy," Annabeth said, pointing. "Um..."

The green spinning hologram was fading, but I could still see it clearly in my head—a green tipped spear. A trident.

The symbol of Poseidon.

"Your father," Annabeth murmured. "This is really not good."

"It is determined," Chiron announced.

Around us, campers began kneeling. Annabeth followed suit, keeping our eyes to the ground.

"My father?" Percy asked, bewildered.

"Poseidon," said Chiron. "Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God."

* * *

A/N: Okay everyone, sorry for the late update, but hopefully I'll be back soon since summer vacation's coming up, but who knows…

Anyway, if you liked, please leave a review letting me know. Follow and favorite to be updated on when I upload a new chapter, and don't hesitate to PM me or leave a review with any questions you might have. I promise I'll do my best to answer them all.

Bye!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

 **Outcast**

The attitude around Camp was…tense, to say the least. The whole "Hellhound Incident," as it was being called, had spooked a lot of campers. Chiron had ordered everyone to be on guard, and had established a border patrol to make sure nothing else came in.

And then there was Percy…

From what I could tell, everyone kept a wide birth when he was near. Apparently only Luke trained with him anymore, and I could see him sulking off to Cabin Three when the campfire ended and everyone went to bed. Not even Clarisse or her cabinmates would go near him, not after what happened at the creek.

Annabeth was different, too. She was more distracted, more prone to losing track of reality. More often than not I found her scowling and muttering something about "Poseidon…? Not unless…make a plan."

At mealtimes he sat alone at the Poseidon table, shoulders hunched like someone was watching him (which is fair, since everyone at Camp usually stared at him) and pushing his food around on his plate.

Deep down, I sympathized. I remembered what it was like to be alone and how miserable it was. Another part of me wondered if that was how I would be treated when everyone found out who I was. Even though he had stayed in Cabin Eleven, we hadn't really spoken much outside me asking him to shuffle to the left because his leg was on my arm. I decided to change that.

A few days after Percy's claiming, he was sitting alone at lunch, looking miserable. _He shouldn't be alone,_ I thought to myself. _Hopefully Poseidon doesn't get angry about what I'm about to do…_

I grabbed my plate and glass of Pepsi and stood up. I passed Chiron at the head table, who looked up and raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

I set my stuff down across from Percy at table three, who looked up in surprise. "Hey," I said, offering a smile. I could feel eyes on me, but I ignored them.

"Uh, hey," Percy said. "Um, what are you doing here?"

"Eating," I said, lifting my meatball sub to my mouth.

"Is that allowed?"

I looked over at Chiron, who seemed bewildered but silent. I looked back at Percy and shrugged. "Not usually."

"Then why are you here?"

"You looked like you could use some company." I took a sip of soda. "I could leave, if you want."

"No!" he said, a little too eagerly. "No, um, I mean, you can stay; I don't mind."

"Good."

We ate in silence for a few minutes. I glanced to my left and saw Anna give a ghost of a smile and a nod of approval. I winked and went back to eating.

"So," I said, "how are you enjoying Camp, excluding all the…" I gestured with a finger to everyone who was looking; they had the decency to looked ashamed and went back to their food.

"It's good," he said, shrugging. "I get to make my own schedule, choose my own bunk, decide when I go to bed."

"Oo-la-la," I said, lifting my cup to my lips. "Someone's living the high life."

He shrugged. "I guess. Still don't really like all the attention it's got me."

I nodded. "I get it." After a minute I said, "I'm sorry about your mom."

"Hmm? Oh. Thanks." He was quiet for a minute. "So…how's your mom?"

"I don't know. I never knew her," I lied.

"Oh, sorry."

I shrugged. "It's fine; you didn't know."

"So, how's your dad?"

"He's fine," I said. "Haven't talked to him in a while, though." It was sad, I know, but true. Despite Apollo's annoying habits, I still missed him.

"Doesn't Chiron let us send letters home?"

"Yeah, but Dad's usually out travelling, so mail doesn't really reach him."

"Oh."

"Hey, if you ever want to stop by the training arena or the archery range, I'd be happy to help you out."

"Really?" he asked, astonished.

I nodded. "Sure. I mean, I'm not great at swordplay, but I know my way around a bow."

"Oh, yeah," he said. "You prefer using knives, right?"

I nodded.

"Why?"

I shrugged. "I don't really know. I've always been trained with knives, so I just grew up using those. And I like to move when I fight, so light weapons are my go-to."

Percy frowned. "Trained?"

I felt my face heat up. "Oh, yeah, well…" I cleared my throat. "My dad's father was a son of Apollo, so he grew up knowing about the gods, and then when Mom dropped me off he knew monsters would come, so he taught me how to protect myself."

"Oh, that's cool."

The conch horn blew, signaling the end of lunch.

"Hey, Hunter?" Percy asked, standing up.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for, um, sticking around. I needed it."

I waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. Listen, Percy, if you ever need someone to talk to or a friend to hang out with, don't be afraid to stop by. My figurative door is always open."

He smiled. "I just might do that, thanks."

On the walk back to the cabins, everyone's eyes were on me. I shrugged them off and glared at the ones who were uber-freaky about it, and I think they got the message. Anna broke away from her cabin and jogged over to meet me.

"That was ballsy," she told me, smirking.

"Please," I said, "ballsy is my middle name."

"Oh really? Hunter Ballsy…" She frowned. "What _is_ your last name?"

I shrugged. "Don't have one."

She didn't look convinced. "You don't have a last name."

"Nope. Why?"

"Isn't that a little weird."

"So what if it is?"

She raised her hands. "I don't know. Still think you should get one, if only for specificity's sake—I mean, it's gonna be kinda hard for people to remember you if you only have a first name."

I frowned. "I never really thought about it."

"Hmm…" she hummed. "I like Marcus."

"Marcus?" I asked. "Seriously?"

She put her hands on her hips. "What? It comes from _marcheur_."

I raised an eyebrow. "I speak English and Ancient Greek, not whatever gibberish that was."

She punched me in the arm. "It's called French, you uncultured swine!"

I rubbed the bruise that she had just made. "Ow. Anyway, what does it mean?"

"Skin walker."*

"And why would that name suit me?"

"Because you howl like an animal in your sleep."

I felt my skin redden. "How do you know about that?" I whispered.

She had the nerve to smile. "Honey, _everyone_ knows about that. Steve even claims that you run in your sleep, kinda like a dog running in his sleep!"

I groaned and slapped myself. "Steve better watch his back for the next few days."

Anna giggled. "Well, what do you think?"

"About what?"

"The nammme," she whined. "Do you like it?"

I licked my lips. "Hunter Marcus," I said aloud, testing it. "I like it."

She smiled. "Good. I gotta go, we've got equestrianism soon and I need to get ready."

"Need to readjust your makeup for the thousandth time?"

She smacked me.

"Sorry."

"You're lucky we're friends," she said, walking away. "See you, wolf boy!"

"Bye, _Annabelle_!"

She sent me a glare over her shoulder and I gave her a sarcastic wave.

-o-

A storm was brewing over the camp—a bad one.

Thunder boomed overhead, and lightning flickered in the sky, lighting up the world with a blinding white light. The waves churned and rose two stories high, so all water activities were canceled until the climate calmed down. _Something's wrong._

"Poseidon and Zeus are angry," Luke said.

"Hmm?" I asked.

"The gods are fighting. That's the only explanation."

"Oh," I said. "But don't the gods always fight?"

H shook his head. "Not like this. This is…something else. Something worse."

"Do you know why?"

Lightning flickered above, and for just a heartbeat it looked like Luke was smiling. Then the moment was gone, and Luke was shaking his head. "No idea. Must be something big, though."

I kept silent and continued shooting arrows. Percy had taken me up on the offer a few days ago, and _good gods_ that boy could not shoot. He very nearly hit one of the pegasi that were circling overhead, but luckily the animal was able to correct itself, though not without letting out several angry whines. (I mean, I _assumed_ they were angry, but then again I don't speak horse, so who knows?)

"Hunter!" someone called. I looked over and saw Percy and Annabeth walking closer. Percy was waving while Annabeth walked with her arms at her sides. Both looked troubled.

"Hey guys," I said, in greeting.

"Hey, Hunter." Percy glanced at Luke. "Do you mind if we borrow him for a sec?"

Luke nodded. "Go ahead," he said, going back to his arrows.

Percy led me out of the archery range to a small spot under a tree.

"What's up?" I asked.

Percy looked at Annabeth. "Uh, could you explain it?"

She rolled her eyes and huffed. "Fine." She turned to me. "Chiron thinks that Hades stole Zeus's Master Bolt."

My mouth suddenly went dry. When I was a kid Apollo had taught me all about the gods and their symbols of power: Hephaestus's hammer and anvil, Aphrodite's girdle, Artemis's silver bow, Poseidon's trident, and others.

"None of them are more dangerous than my father's Master Bolt," he had said. "It has more power than all of the world's nuclear bombs put together and could sheer the tops of mountains like they were paper."

If someone had stolen it…

"What? How?"

"He doesn't know," she admitted. "But he thinks he had a spy steal it."

"And that that spy was the one who summoned the hellhound to kill me," Percy said.

"Oh, well, okay, but what does that have to do with me?"

"Percy's been given a quest," Annabeth said, "and he needs two other people to go with him. I already agreed, and since Grover isn't here right now…"

I looked at Percy with dawning realization. "…you want me to be the third?"

He nodded. "Annabeth vouched for you, and you said that if I needed anything…"

"Well, yeah," I said, "but I only meant, like, someone to hang out with a something, not go on a _quest_!"

Percy looked afraid now. "Does that mean you don't want to go?"

"I never said that," I said. "What's the quest?"

"We need to journey to the Underworld in LA, retrieve the Bolt, and return it to Zeus before he and Poseidon cause World War III," Annabeth said.

"So the plan is to journey across the country, descend into literal hell, face up against the Lord of the Underworld, retrieve the Master Bolt, return to Zeus before he destroys the world, and somehow manage to not die along the way?"

Percy shuffled from one foot to the other. "Basically."

I smiled. "I'm in. When do we leave?"

* * *

* So, I used Google Translate for this since I don't speak French, so if there are any French speakers reading this, please don't be angry if I got it wrong. Also, skin walker is basically the same thing as skinwalker, which was a Native American myth about humans who could turn into or control animals.

A/N: What did you guys think? There'll be a few minor differences between the original book and this, but for future chapters I won't have Hunter be in every quest that Percy goes on, so don't be afraid of this just being PJATO-plus-Hunter. What did you guys think of Hunter's last name? If anyone had ideas for a middle name, I'd be happy to hear them. If not, I'll just leave it blank.

If you guys enjoyed then please leave a review, and don't be afraid to PM me with questions about this story or if you just want to talk. Follow and favorite to be alerted to when I update.

Bye!


	8. Chapter 8

**The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Eight: Our Ride Goes up in Smoke**

Will Solace and Lee Fletcher caught up to me on the way to the Hermes Cabin.

"Hunter!"

I turned. "Oh, hey, guys. What's up?"

"We heard you were going on a quest," Lee supplied.

I blinked. "Wait, seriously? Its been, like, five minutes."

Lee smiled. "We're children of Apollo, remember? We have a way of knowing about these sorta things."*

"And since you're gonna be in danger and might not return—" Lee swatted Will on the arm. "Ow!" He winced. "Sorry. But since you're most likely gonna run into trouble, we thought we'd give you some things to prepare." He handed me a bag of Ambrosia and a small canteen of Nectar. "Chiron'll probably give you some before you go, but it never hurts to be a little extra cautious."

Lee handed me a long recurve bow made of wood. "Gift from Dad when I got here. Who knows, maybe he'll even claim you when you get back."

"You mean if—"

"I mean _when_ you get back." He put a hand on my shoulder. "Trust me, you'll do fine. I mean, you've got Annabeth Chase and Poseidon's son going with you!" He laughed. "What could go wrong?"

I managed a smile, keeping the fact that I wouldn't really _need_ another bow, considering I had my own; but still, the thought was what really mattered. "Thanks, guys."

"Don't forget these," Lee said, handing over a large quiver. "If you want to appear less dangerous, just run your forefinger along the drawstring.

I did so, and the bow shrunk until it was a small black lighter, and the quiver was a container of Tic Tacs. "Coo—Wait a second, if I put one of these in my mouth I'm not gonna have to worry about it going back into arrow mode, will I?"

Lee laughed and waved a hand. "No, no, you should be fine. Same goes for the lighter. There's a little button on the side you can push down to turn it back into a bow. Otherwise it's just a normal lighter."

I slipped everything into my pockets. "Thanks, you guys; I really don't know what to say."

"Don't _say_ anything," Will said, "just get back here in one piece."

I smiled. "You got it."

"Good," Lee said. "We'll let you get to packing. Come on, Will."

"I'm coming." He gave a small wave. "Good luck, Hunter."

"Thanks."

-o-

Packing only took about fifteen minutes, and I took about everything I'd need: my knives, three pairs of jeans, a few shirts, the black jacket Apollo got me for my birthday, stuff to sleep in, a toothbrush, and some other necessities like tennis balls. (I get bored easily!)

I opened the door and stepped out confidently, eager to undergo my first quest, to win fame and glory, kill some monsters, and save the world…

…only to be stopped by a certain son of Ares who was standing in front of the door.

"What do you want?" I asked dully.

Damien's lips thinned. "Stay away from her."

My brow furrowed. "Who?"

"You know who!" he said harshly. "Look, just leave her alone, and I'll leave you along. Deal?"

"What is your…" I wide smile formed on my lips. "Oh my gods, don't tell me…"

He looked surprised. "What are you—"

"You have a crush on Anna!"

He scowled. "Her name is Annabelle."

"But she prefers being called Anna. I guess that she just doesn't like you enough to reveal that."

"That's why you'll stay away from her," he growled. "Otherwise…"

I scoffed. "What, you'll kill me?" I laughed. "I'd like to see you try, oaf."

"Why you litt—"

"Hate to interrupt," I said, even though I really didn't, "but I've got a quest to complete, so if you'd please run along." When he didn't, I let out a tired sigh. "Look, I'm not about to ditch Anna, so either you get used to us being friends or you and I can duke it out when I get back." I smiled. "I'll even let you bring some of your friends, because much like your mother, I'll accept all comers."

He looked surprised for a second, then angry. "You little bas—"

"Ahem."

We turned. Anna was there, a hand on her hip, dark hair blowing in the wind. "Look, boys, I really hate to break up this macho, display-of-dominance thing that's going on here, but I'm kind of on a tight schedule." She waved a hand at Damien. "Run along."

Damien growled, and I noticed a hint of pink on his cheeks. "This isn't over," he said, pointing. Then he stalked off.

Anna was quiet for a second, then she started laughing. I joined in too, and for several moments the two of us laughed our heads off.

"Oh, man," she said, wiping a tear from her eye, "that was precious."

"How long were you there?"

"Long enough."

"Then you know about Damien's little crush?"

She snorted. "I've known about that since he got here."

"I don't know who I feel worse for, you or him." She punched me in the arm.

"Anyway, I didn't come here to talk about Damien. I came to talk about you and this quest of yours."

I threw my hands up. _"_ Does _everyone_ know about that?"

She laughed. "Word travels fast, honey. I just came to make sure you know what you're doing."

"Let's see"—I began counting off with my fingers—"travel across the country, fight off monsters, reach the Underworld, collect the Master Bolt, and return it to Zeus before the world explodes." I shrugged. "Easy peasy, lemon squeezy."

She shook her head and took a step forward. Before I could react, she had wrapped her arms around me and pulled me to her in a tight hug. I was shocked for a minute, but then I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her back.

When she stepped back, I laughed. "You know Damien's going to hate me forever now, right?"

She snorted. "You can take him easily." Her face hardened. "Look, Hunter, what you're doing is dangerous—like, crazy dangerous. Just…promise you'll at least _try_ and come back in one piece?"

I gave a small smile. "Aw, does someone care about me?"

She scowled. No! I just…You're my favorite sparring partner. If you died, I'd have to find another one."

"Damien might be willing to take you up on that offer."

She glared at me. "Cant you take this even the _least_ bit seriously?"

In defeat, I raised my hands. "I promise. There, happy?"

She nodded. "Good luck, Hunter."

I nodded. "Of course," I said, and headed for Half-Blood Hill.

-o-

Percy and Annabeth were already there, each with their own assortment of quieting gear. We waved good-bye to the other campers, took one last look at the strawberry fields, the ocean, and the Big House, then hiked up Half-Blood Hill to the tall pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus. Chiron was waiting for us in his wheelchair. Next to him was Argus, wearing a chauffeur's outfit.

"Looking good, Argus," I said as we walked over. He didn't say anything, though he did nod his head gratefully.

"This is Argus," Chiron told Percy. "He will drive you into the city, and, er, well, keep an eye on things."

I heard footsteps behind us.

Luke came running up the hill, carrying a pair of basketball shoes. "Hey!" he panted. "Glad I caught you."

Annabeth blushed, the way she always did when Luke was around. I resisted the urge to snicker.

"Just wanted to say good luck," Luke told us. "And I thought ... um, maybe you could use these." He handed Percy the sneakers and said, "Maia!"

The shoes sported white bird wings, and Percy was so surprised that he dropped them with a gasp. The shoes fluttered around uselessly on the ground for a few seconds before the wings disappeared.

"Sweet!" I said, scooping them up and dusting them off with my hand. "Like Hermes's?"

Luke nodded. "Yep. Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days..." His expression turned sad.

There was an awkward silence that was broken when Percy said, "Hey, man. Thanks."

"Listen, Percy ..." Luke looked uncomfortable. "A lot of hopes are riding on you. So just ... kill some monsters for me, okay?"

They shook hands. Luke clapped me on the shoulder once and hugged Annabeth until she looked like she was going to faint.

"You're hyperventilating," Percy said when Luke was gone.

"Am not," Annabeth defended.

"You let him capture the flag instead of you, didn't you?"

"Oh ... why do I want to go anywhere with you, Percy?"

She stomped down the other side of the hill, where a white SUV waited on the shoulder of the road. Argus followed, jingling his car keys.

Percy looked at the shoes sullenly. "I won't be able to use those, will I?"

Chiron shook his head. "Luke meant well, Percy. But taking to the air ... that would not be wise for you."

Percy nodded, disappointed. "They're yours if you want them."

I looked up hopefully. "Really?"

Percy nodded.

I smiled and said, "Awesome!" After a few seconds I had replaced my shoes with Luke's. "Maia!" I called. I lifted off carefully, arms out to maintain balance. "Check me out," I said, "I look like a—oof!" In my moment of hasty excitement, I tipped over onto my side. Pretty soon the shoes were dragging me down the hill, my fingers grasping at the grass and dirt to stop myself.

"Practice," Chiron called. "You just need practice!"

"How can I practice when—Argus, look out!"

Argus turned his body to avoid a collision, but I reached a hand out in the hopes of stopping myself. The only thing I succeeded in doing, however, was pulling him off his feet.

"Sorry! Annabeth, help!"

The daughter of Athena rolled her eyes, said, "Hold on, I'm coming," and chased after me down the hill.

-o-

We were making pretty good time as we drove through busy New York highways, Percy and Annabeth on either side of me. I'll admit, I was a little surprised by the world outside of Camp. After seven months of woods and cabins and ocean, seeing actual civilization felt…surreal, I suppose.

"So far so good," Percy told Annabeth. "Ten miles and not a single monster."

She glared at him across me. "It's bad luck to talk that way, seaweed brain."

"Remind me again—why do you hate me so much?"

"I don't hate you."

"Could've fooled me."

She folded her cap of invisibility. "Look ... we're just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals."

"Why?"

She sighed. "How many reasons do you want? One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena's temple, which is hugely disrespectful. Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her."

"They must really like olives."

"Oh, forget it."

"Now, if she'd invented _pizza_ —that I could understand."

"I said, forget it!"

I laughed and bumped Percy's leg in approval. In the front seat, Argus smiled. He didn't say anything, but one blue eye on the back of his neck winked.

Traffic slowed us down in Queens. By the time we got into Manhattan it was sunset and starting to rain. Argus dropped us at the Greyhound Station, unloaded our bags, made sure we got our bus tickets, then drove away, the eye on the back of his hand opening to watch us as he pulled out of the parking lot.

The bus wouldn't show up for another hour or so, so I pulled out one of my tennis balls and invited Percy and Annabeth to play off-the-wall. The rules were basic enough: you threw a ball at wall, you caught it when it bounced off, and if you dropped it you had to sprint to the wall before another player could hit the wall, because that meant that you were out.

After three games we had to add the option of having extra lives because Annabeth kept getting us out.

"Gods above, Annabeth, _stop_!"

"Then run faster!"

Finally the bus came. Just as we were boarding I got a tight feeling in my stomach. At first I thought it was just nervousness from the quest, but then I saw Percy and Annabeth looking around too, and I decided it wasn't anything good.

We stowed our backpacks and found seats near the back. Annabeth was nervous too; she kept twisting her Yankees cap in her hands and bouncing her foot. Suddenly she clamped her hand down on Percy's leg. "Percy."

An old lady had just boarded the bus. She wore a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves, and a shapeless orange-knit hat that shadowed her face, and she carried a big paisley purse. When she tilted her head up, her black eyes glittered.

Percy seemed to shrink into his seat.

"What?" I asked quietly. "What is it?"

Behind her came two more old ladies: one in a green hat, one in a purple hat. Otherwise they looked exactly like her—same gnarled hands, paisley handbags, wrinkled velvet dresses.

They sat in the front row, right behind the driver. The two on the aisle crossed their legs over the walkway, making an X. It was casual enough, but it sent a clear message: nobody leaves.

The bus pulled out of the station, and we headed through the slick streets of Manhattan. "She didn't stay dead long," Percy said, sounding like he was trying to keep his voice from quivering. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."

"I said if you're lucky," Annabeth said. "You're obviously not."

"I don't get it," I said. "What's going on?"

"Those three"—she pointed to the old ladies—"are the Furies."

Something cold settled in my stomach. "You mean like, _the Furies_ the Furies, like, Hades' minions?"

"All three of them," I breathed.

"It's okay," Annabeth said, obviously thinking hard. "The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem. We'll just slip out the windows."

"They don't open," I said.

"A back exit?" she suggested.

There wasn't one. Even if there had been, it wouldn't have helped. By that time, we were on Ninth Avenue, heading for the Lincoln Tunnel.

"They won't attack us with witnesses around," Percy said. "Will they?"

"Mortals don't have good eyes," Annabeth said. "Their brains can only process what they see

through the Mist."

"They'll see three old ladies killing us, won't they?"

She thought about it. "Hard to say. But we can't count on mortals for help. Maybe an emergency exit in the roof ...?"

We hit the Lincoln Tunnel, and the bus went dark except for the running lights down the aisle. It was eerily quiet without the sound of the rain.

One of the Furies got up. In a flat voice, as if she'd rehearsed it, she announced to the whole bus: "I need to use the rest-room."

"So do I," said the second sister.

"So do I," said the third sister.

They all started coming down the aisle.

"I've got it," Annabeth said. "Percy, take my hat."

"What?"

"You're the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away."

"But you guys—"

"There's an outside chance they might not notice us," Annabeth said. "You're a son of one of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering."

"I can't just leave you."

"Don't worry about us," I said, "we can handle ourselves. Go!"

Percy didn't look happy, but he put it on. A second later he was gone. For several long seconds the Furies kept coming, but then one of them turned and sniffed at an empty seat. My breath caught in my throat. _Please, gods, don't let them find him._ Then the Fury moved on, and I let myself relax…

…until the Furies stopped in front of us. They let out a wailing sound as one, and they weren't old ladies anymore; now they were much worse. Their faces were still the same, but their bodies had shriveled into leathery brown hag bodies with bat's wings and hands and feet like gargoyle claws. Their handbags had turned into fiery whips.

They surrounded us, screeching and hissing: "Where is it? Where?"

"He's not here!" Annabeth yelled. "He's gone!"

The Furies raised their whips.

She drew her blade, I pulled out my knives. They caught on the light of the bus, turning the blade into a long thin shaft of light.

Just before the Furies struck, the bus lurched to the side. Passengers screamed and the Furies were thrown against the window. I grabbed onto one of the support poles and held on tight. Annabeth was holding onto the back of the seat in front of us, pale.

The bus slammed against the side of the tunnel, grinding metal, throwing sparks a mile behind us. We careened out of the Lincoln Tunnel and back into the rainstorm, people and monsters tossed around the bus, cars plowed aside like bowling pins. I lost my grip and was thrown against the side of the bus, knocking the wind out of me.

Somehow the driver found an exit. We shot off the highway, through half a dozen traffic lights, and ended up barreling down one of the New Jersey rural areas. There were woods to our left, the Hudson River to our right, and the driver seemed to be veering toward the river.

Then there was a screeching sound, and the bus spun a full circle on the wet asphalt and crashed into the trees. The emergency lights came on. The door flew open. The bus driver was the first one out, the passengers yelling as they stampeded after him.

The Furies were back on their feet. Annabeth and I were still dazed and our hands were empty, so I had no idea how we were going to survive.

Then Percy saved us.

"Hey!" he yelled, and then he was visible again.

The Furies turned, and the one in the lead began to stalk toward the front. The other two jumped into the seats on either side, hissing.

"Perseus Jackson," the first one said, "you have offended the gods. You shall die."

"I liked you better as a math teacher," he told her. I didn't know what that meant, but I gave it a seven out of the ten on the Comeback Scale.

She growled.

Annabeth and I crept behind them, waiting.

Percy took a pen out of his pocket, and I had just enough time to think, _He's gone crazy,_ before he uncapped it, and it turned into a sword. _That's new._

The Furies hesitated.

"Submit now," one of them hissed. "And you will not suffer eternal torment."

"Nice try," I told her.

"Percy, look out!" Annabeth cried.

The Furies lashed out, the front one sending her whip at Percy's sword. While he was distracted the other two lunged. Percy hit one of them with his sword hilt while he sliced through the other one, sending her back to Tartarus.

Annabeth jumped up and pulled the Fury that remained back in a wrestler's hold. I ran forward and stomped on her whip and cut through her hand with my knife. She wailed and dropped the whip.

Annabeth kept her hold on the Fury, despite the old woman's best efforts to shake her. I crouched behind her and she tripped over me, sending her to the floor. She tried to rise, but was stuck between two of the seats.

"Zeus will destroy you!" she promised. "Hades will have your soul!"

"Braccas meas vescimini!" Percy yelled.

I was about to congratulate him on having a much better comeback, but then thunder shook the bus. My nose was filled with the smell of ozone and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

"Get out!" Annabeth yelled. "Now!"

We rushed outside and found the other passengers wandering around in a daze, arguing with the driver, or running around in circles yelling, "We're going to die!" A Hawaiian-shirted tourist with a camera snapped our photograph.

My heart stopped. "Our bags! We left—"

 _BOOOOOM!_

The windows of the bus exploded as the passengers ran for cover. Lightning shredded a huge crater in the roof, but an angry wail from inside told us that the Fury was still alive.

"Run!" Annabeth said. "She's calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!"

We plunged into the woods as the rain poured down, the bus in flames behind us, and nothing but darkness ahead.

* * *

* In the Demigod Diaries, it's said that Apollo's children have a limited access to precognition.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Leave lots of reviews.

Bye!


	9. Chapter 9

**The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Nine: Complications**

There are only a few things I truly hate.

One, being cold; two, my clothes being wet; three, Apollo in swim trunks; four, being lost; and five, a certain book series about a sparkling vampire and a werewolf that's in love with a baby.

Right now, I was dealing with three of those things.

Percy, Annabeth and I were trudging through the New Jersey woods that run alongside the riverbank, soaking wet with _no_ money and _no_ means of transportation.

"That sucked," I muttered, hugging myself tighter. My hair was flat against my head and face, so I had to wipe it out of my eyes every few minutes with my sleeve. "You guys know that sucked, right?"

"Come on!" Annabeth said, somehow not either in shock or disbelief. "The farther west we get, the better."

"We have _nothing,_ Annabeth!"

"All our money was back there," Percy reminded her. "Our food and clothes. Everything."

"Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight—"

"What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?"

"You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would've been fine."

"Skewered like Swiss cheese," I added, "but fine."

"Shut up, wolf boy."

"Hey!"

It smelled like sweaty feet and sour milk around us, and I'm pretty sure there was mud in my boot. (Add that to the list of things I hate.)

Then Annabeth said, "Look, I..." Her voice faltered. "I appreciate your coming back for us, okay? That was really brave."

"We're a team, right?"

She was silent for a few more steps. "It's just that if you died ... aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world."

The thunderstorm had finally let up, which I was thankful for, though we still couldn't see much of anything.

"You haven't left Camp Half-Blood since you were seven?" Percy asked.

"No...only short field trips. My dad—"

"The history professor."

"Yeah. It didn't work out for me living at home. I mean, Camp Half-Blood _is_ my home." She was rushing her words out now, as if she were afraid somebody might try to stop her. "At Camp you train and train. And that's all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not."

"You're pretty good with that knife," said Percy

"You think so?"

"Anybody who can piggyback-ride a Fury is okay by me."

Annabeth's lips perked up in a grateful smile.

After a couple more seconds Percy let out an "Oof!" as he slammed into something large: a tree. "You okay?" I asked, helping him to his feet.

"Yeah," he said, rubbing the impressive bruise on his forehead. "Come on." He pushed ahead, blushing from embarrassment. I looked back at Annabeth, who was covering her laughter with a hand. I gave a sympathetic shrug but smiled too.

"Hold on," Percy said, holding a hand up. He lifted his head toward the sky. "You guys smell that."

I furrowed my brow but sniffed the air for a few seconds. I could understand what he was talking about: the air smelled delicious, like French fries, hamburgers, tater-tots, and various other greasy food. My stomach growled in anticipation.

A little farther on we came to a deserted two-lane road with a gas station, a large broken billboard, and a roadside shop with dozens of statues, plastic lawn ornaments and stone fountains. The building itself was a warehouse with a large neon sign that was impossible to read.

"What the heck does that say?" Percy asked.

"I don't know," Annabeth said.

I squinted and waited for a second. The letters started to rearrange themselves as I concentrated, and pretty soon I could read the entire thing.

"Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium," I said aloud.

Percy started crossing the street, Annabeth close behind. A voice in the back of my mind was warning me about the dangers of stranger danger, but then my stomach started growling again, and I did what any rational, hungry person would do:

I started walking toward the gnome store.

"You think anyone's home?" I asked.

"The lights are on inside," Annabeth said. "Maybe it's open."

"Snack bar," Percy said wistfully.

"Snack bar," she agreed.

My stomach rumbled. "Snack bar."

Now that we were closer, I could make out more of the gnomes' features. I stopped in front of a cement child molded to look like a little girl. She was smiling, though her eyes were unnaturally wide. It looked almost _too_ detailed. I shuddered and walked away, though I felt like the girl's—and everyone else's—eyes were following me.

"Are you guys sure this is a good idea?" I asked. "I mean, maybe it's too la—"

The door swung open. Standing in front of us was a woman wearing a long black gown that covered up everything but her hands. She wore of veil over her hair, her eyes hidden behind a curtain of black gauze.

"Children," she said, voice sounding like it was somewhere from the Middle East, "it's too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?"

They're ... um ..." Annabeth started to say.

"We're orphans," Percy said. I raised an eyebrow.

"Orphans?" the woman said. The word sounded alien in her mouth. "But, my dears! Surely not!"

"We got separated from our caravan," I said. "Our circus caravan. The ringmaster told us to meet him at the gas station if we got lost, but he may have forgotten, or maybe he meant a different gas station. Anyway, we're lost. Is that food I smell?"

I was going to comment on Percy being so blunt, but then the woman said, "Oh, my dears. You must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area."

We thanked her and went inside.

Annabeth muttered, "Circus caravan?"

"Always have a strategy, right?"

"Your head is full of kelp."

There was a metal _Squeak!_ from behind us, and I glanced over my shoulder fast enough to see Aunty Em twist something on the doorknob.

"Guys," I whispered, "don't freak out, but I think the gnome lady just locked us in."

Neither of them seemed to hear me. Around us were even more statues—men, women, children, elderly people, animals, you name it. They were all life-size, which I though was rather strange, but then I got a whiff of the food, and I lost track of everything else.

The dining area was pretty sweet, with soda machines, a nacho stand, a fully functional grill, a pretzel heater, and basically whatever else a teenager needed for a balanced diet.

"Please, sit down," Aunty Em said, gesturing to the steel tables lined up in front of the dining area.

"Awesome," Percy muttered, grinning.

"Thank you for this," Annabeth said, sitting down next to me and across from Percy, "we really appreciate it."

"Quite all right, Annabeth," she said. "You have such beautiful gray eyes, child."

 _Wait a second…_ I thought… _how does she know Annabeth's name?_ We hadn't introduced ourselves, so she shouldn't know her—

Aunty Em started cooking, and the aroma of greasy cheeseburgers and goopy nachos filled my nose. Suspicions were quickly forgotten. Before we knew it, she'd brought us plastic trays heaped with double cheeseburgers, vanilla shakes, and XXL servings of French fries.

Percy wolfed down his burger, Annabeth slurped on her shake, and I licked salt off my fingers from my fries. There was a sound coming from somewhere near me, it sounded almost like—

I slapped my neck quickly and brought my hand back, looking at my fingers.

"What?" Percy asked, a line of ketchup running down to his chin. He wiped it off with his finger. "What is it?"

"…Nothing." I rubbed my thumb against my middle and index fingers. "Nothing—just thought I heard a fly."

"A fly?"

"Yeah. Didn't you guys hear it? Sounded like 'Sssssssssss.'"

They shook their heads, looking at me in confusion. I shook my head. "Forget about it."

Aunty Em ate nothing. She hadn't taken off her head-dress, even to cook, and now she sat forward and interlaced her fingers and watched us eat. It was a little unsettling, but the food was good, so I let it slide.

"So, you sell gnomes," Percy said, sounding like he was doing his best to sound interested.

"Oh, yes," Aunty Em said. "And animals. And people. Anything for the garden. Custom orders. Statuary is very popular, you know."

"A lot of business on this road?"

"Not so much, no. Since the highway was built... most cars, they do not go this way now. I must cherish every customer I get."

Over Percy's shoulder, I saw a statue of a little boy, no older than five or six. His arms were out, like he wanted a hug, and his mouth was wide—though I couldn't tell if he was laughing or screaming.

"Ah," Aunty Em said sadly. "You notice some of my creations do not turn out well. They are marred. They do not sell. The face is the hardest to get right. Always the face."

"You make these statues yourself?" Percy asked.

"Oh, yes. Once upon a time, I had two sisters to help me in the business, but they have passed on, and Aunty Em is alone. I have only my statues. This is why I make them, you see. They are my company."

Something about that story seemed familiar, and suddenly my French fry turned to carboard in my mouth.

Annabeth had stopped eating too. She sat forward and said, "Two sisters?"

"It's a terrible story," Aunty Em said. "Not one for children, really. You see, Annabeth, a bad woman was jealous of me, long ago, when I was young. I had a... a boyfriend, you know, and this bad woman was determined to break us apart. She caused a terrible accident. My sisters stayed by me. They shared my bad fortune as long as they could, but eventually they passed on. They faded away. I alone have survived, but at a price. Such a price."

"Percy?" Annabeth was shaking me to get my attention. "Maybe we should go. I mean, the ringmaster will be waiting."

"Yeah," I said, "we really should be going."

"Such beautiful gray eyes," Aunty Em told Annabeth again. "My, yes, it has been a long time since I've seen gray eyes like those." She reached out as if to stroke Annabeth's cheek, but Annabeth stood up abruptly.

"We really should go."

I grabbed Percy's elbow. "Yeah, like, _right now."_

"Please, dears," Aunty Em pleaded. "I so rarely get to be with children. Before you go, won't you at least sit for a pose?"

"A pose?" Annabeth asked warily.

"A photograph. I will use it to model a new statue set. Children are so popular, you see. Everyone loves children."

Annabeth shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I don't think we can, ma'am. Come on, Percy—"

"Sure we can," Percy said. "It's just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?"

"Yes, Annabeth," the woman purred. "No harm."

I wanted to say no, grab Annabeth and Percy and run, but then Annabeth shook her head.

"Excellent!" Aunty Em said, clapping her hands. "Come, come, dears, this way."

She led us back out the front door to the garden of statues. Aunty Em directed us to a park bench next to the stone satyr. "Now," she said, "I'll just position you correctly. The young girl in the middle, I think, and the two young gentlemen on either side."

"Not much light for a photo," Percy remarked.

"Oh, enough," Aunty Em said. "Enough for us to see each other, yes?"

"Where's your camera?" I asked.

Aunty Em stepped back, as if to admire the shot. "Now, the face is the most difficult. Can you smile for me please, everyone? A large smile?"

I looked at the little girl in the dress. "These don't look right…"

"Hunter," Aunty Em chastised, "look this way, dear."

She still had no camera in her hands.

"Percy—" Annabeth said.

"…it's almost like…"

"I will just be a moment," Aunty Em said. "You know, I can't see you very well in this cursed veil..."

"Percy, something's wrong," Annabeth insisted.

"Wrong?" Aunty Em said, reaching up to undo the wrap around her head. "Not at all, dear. I have such noble company tonight. What could be wrong?"

"…they're real!"

 _Medusa!_

"Look away from her!" Annabeth shouted. She whipped her Yankees cap onto her head and vanished. Her invisible hands pushed Percy and me both off the bench.

I was back on my feet in an instant, covering my eyes with my arm, scrambling for cover. Annabeth was doing likewise, but Percy was still on the ground, obviously dazed.

I found cover behind a statue of a bearded man with a baby in his hands, smiling, their last moments caught for eternity. _I'm so sorry._ I peeked out from behind my makeshift cover and looked at Aunty—Medusa. _Don't look past her chest,_ I told myself. Instead I focused on her hands, which had become gnarled and wrinkled.

Percy was looking up higher, past her stomach, to her chest, to her neck—

"Percy, don't!" Annabeth yelled.

I could hear that buzzing sound again, that same "Ssssssssssssss," like a nest of hornets, or a swarm of flies, or…

…snakes.

My bow was in my hand in an instant, arrow notched and ready.

"Such a pity to destroy a handsome young face," Medusa cooed. "Stay with me, Percy. All you have to do is look up."

I looked over again and saw Percy on the ground, Medusa right in front of him. I could have fired an arrow, but she could very well dodge it, or catch it, or I'd make a mistake and catch of glimpse of her eyes.

I would have to wait for now.

"The Gray-Eyed One did this to me, Percy," Medusa said. "Annabeth's mother, the cursed Athena, turned me from a beautiful woman into this."

"Don't listen to her!" Annabeth's voice shouted, some-where in the statuary. "Run, Percy!"

"Silence!" Medusa snarled. Then her voice modulated back to a comforting purr. "You see why I must destroy the girl, Percy. She is my enemy's daughter. I shall crush her statue to dust. But you, dear Percy, you need not suffer."

"No," Percy muttered.

"Do you really want to help the gods?" Medusa asked. "Do you understand what awaits you on this foolish quest, Percy? What will happen if you reach the Underworld? Do not be a pawn of the Olympians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue. Less pain. Less pain."

"Percy, get down!" I yelled, leaping out from behind the man and his baby. I fired an arrow and rolled when I hit the ground, right behind a small hedge.

I heard the arrow whiz through the air, and Medusa shrieking in pain. "You wretched little abomination!" she wailed. "I'll get you for this!"

I peeked over my hedge. Medusa was pulling the arrow out of her shoulder, wincing in pain. Before she could fully get it out, I raised my bow again and fired. This one caught her in the wrist. She screamed and stumbled back.

"Guys," I called, "anytime you want to jump in would be fine!"

Medusa shot up, roaring. She turned her ugly gaze at me, and I quickly ducked behind my hedge. I was about to move again when I heard Percy yell, "Hey!"

Looking up, I saw him advancing with his sword in hand and a glass ball, eyes down to avoid her gaze. Medusa let him come, twenty feet, ten feet, eight feet.

"You wouldn't harm an old woman, Percy," she crooned. "I know you wouldn't."

Percy seemed to hesitate, so I yelled, "Don't listen to her!"

Medusa cackled. "Too late."

She lunged, and Percy swung with his sword. His blade caught Medusa's neck, and her head flew off, spinning. Her body landed with a _thump_ , melting and steaming until there was nothing left but gold dust and green goop.

"Oh, that's gross," I said, coming out from behind the hedge. I picked up a stick and dipped the end in the Medusa-goop. The stick steamed and bubbled. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Annabeth came over, holding Medusa's veil. She said, "Don't move," and picked it up carefully, her eyes never leaving the sky.

"Are you okay?" she asked, voice trembling.

"Yeah," Percy said, voice thick. Why didn't ... why didn't the head evaporate?"

"Once you sever it, it becomes a spoil of war," she said. "Same as your minotaur horn. But don't unwrap the head. It can still petrify you."

I put my bow away. It disappeared with a small shower of silver sparks.

"Nice job with the arrows," Percy said.

"Nice job with the sword," I said back. "Can we, uh, get out of here?"

It was a unanimous decision. We found some old plastic grocery bags behind the snack counter and double-wrapped Medusa's head. We plopped it on the table where we'd eaten dinner and sat around it, too exhausted to speak.

Percy said, "So we have Athena to thank for this monster?"

Annabeth flashed him an irritated look. "Your dad, actually. Don't you remember? Medusa was Poseidon's girlfriend. They decided to meet in my mother's temple. That's why Athena turned her into a monster. Medusa and her two sisters who had helped her get into the temple, they became the three gorgons. That's why Medusa wanted to slice me up, but she wanted to preserve you as a nice statue. She's still sweet on your dad. You probably reminded her of him."

"Oh, so now it's _my_ fault we met Medusa."

Annabeth straightened. In an imitation of Percy's voice, she said: "'It's just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?'"

"Forget it," I said. "You're impossible."

"You're insufferable."

"You're—"

"Enough!" I shouted. "Gods above, can't you two go _five_ minutes without getting into some kind of argument? I mean, seriously, aren't you two twelve? Because I feel like I'm stuck babysitting a couple of _four-year olds_!" They had the decency to looked abashed, at least. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "What are we going to do with that thing?" I pointed to the severed head.

I got up. "I'll be back."

"Percy," Annabeth called after me. "What are you—"

He walked off before she could finish. Annabeth stomped on the ground in frustration.

"Stop," I said.

"What?" she demanded, affronted. "He's—"

"—an idiot, I know, but he's also just lost his mom, found out the Greek gods exist, been claimed by one of the Big Three, and been sent on a quest that could very well doom the planet. Give him a break."

"But—"

"But nothing. Look, I don't care about whatever beef you two have, but I want you to put it on hold until we get this quest done, because like it or not, you need him, and he needs you."

She was quiet for a little while. "Just until the quest is done," she said.

"Just until the quest is done," I agreed. "Then you two can go back to hating each other, and I can go back to letting Chiron deal with it."

Percy came back a while later and started writing down something on a little slip of paper:

The Gods

Mount Olympus

600th Floor,

Empire State Building

New York, NY

With best wishes,

PERCY JACKSON

Then he packed up Medusa's head and slapped the paper to the side.

"They aren't going to like that," I warned. "They'll think you're impudent."

Percy slipped some gold drachmas inside, then there was a slight popping sound, and the package was gone.

"I _am_ impudent," he said. I shrugged and gave a small smile of approval.

He looked at Annabeth, who kept her mouth pleasantly shut. Good.

"Come on," she muttered. "We need a new plan."

-o-

That night was pretty miserable.

We stole some of Medusa's blankets and camped out in a small clearing a hundred yards from the road. Even though we were soaked and cold, nobody offered to make a fire. After dealing with a gorgon and a Fury, the last thing we needed was more trouble.

Percy took first shift. Annabeth was passed out near him, snoring softly. I grabbed a blanket, shimmied up the nearest tree, and lay flat against one of the thicker branches.

I looked up at the moon, barely visible through the trees. I closed my eyes and imagined myself in front of the cabin—my home. Winter was there, the rest of her pack too. I missed them. I missed Winter, and Fenrir, and Remus, and Diana, and Benjy, the little pup. I missed hunting with them, running with them, being free with them.

I reached out and tried to imagine running my fingers through Winter's fur, hearing her purr against my skin and nuzzle my cheek. _Can you hear me?_ I thought. _Do you miss me?_ It could have just been my imagination, but I thought I heard howling.

"Hey, Hunter?" Percy called. I opened an eye.

"Yes?"

"Is this going to work? I mean, what chance to we have against a god?"

"I don't know," I admitted, "but it's been done before. We'll find a way, especially since Annabeth—"

"Oh, I forgot. Annabeth will have a plan all figured out."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, she will, because she's one of the smartest demigods out there, and you'd be stupid not to listen to her. Look, she's had a hard life, so take it easy with her, at least during this quest. Once we're done, you two can quarrel your hearts out." I sighed. "She's a good person, Percy. She just doesn't trust easily. After what happened five years ago…"

"What?" he asked. "What happened five years ago?"

I shook my head. "Not for me to say. Ask Annabeth or Grover—it's their story, not mine." I turned over so I could look at him. "Look, I think something's wrong. Annabeth too. We talked about it when you were rummaging through Medusa's stuff."

"Well, duh. I'm getting blamed for stealing a thunder-bolt that Hades took."

"That's not what I mean," I said. "The Furies were sort of holding back; they just

weren't as aggressive as they could've been."

"They seemed plenty aggressive to me."

I shook my head. "They were screeching at us: 'Where is it? Where?'"

"Asking about me," he said.

"Maybe ... but Annabeth and I, we both got the feeling they weren't asking about a person. They said 'Where is _it_?' They seemed to be asking about an object."

"That doesn't make sense."

"I know. But if we've misunderstood something about this quest, and we only have nine days to find the master bolt..." I trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

"I haven't been straight with you," he said after a minute. "I don't care about the master bolt. I agreed to go to the Underworld so I could bring back my mother."

I scoffed. "I know that, Percy. But are you sure that's the only reason?"

"I'm not doing it to help my father. He doesn't care about me. I don't care about him."

I was silent. Then I said, "I know how you feel. Trust me, I know."

"Yeah?"

I nodded, but seeing as he likely couldn't see me, I said, "Mm-hmm. Don't feel like you're the only one. I feel the same way about—" I stopped talking.

"About who?"

I sighed. "My godly parent."

"Your dad?"

"Uh-uh."

"Oh. Do you…want to talk about it?"

I shrugged. "I guess…Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"I promise."

I nodded gratefully. "Thanks. So…gods, where to begin. I guess the beginning is best. So, my parent didn't know I was born."

"Wait, how does that work?"

"That is a long story for another day," I said. "Anyway, all of a sudden, she finds out about me and _boom,_ she shows up on my front door one day. At first I was like, 'Awesome! I get to meet my mom, get claimed, learn how to kill monsters, this is gonna be fun!' But then I got to Camp and I realized something.

"I realized that she _isn't_ really my 'mother,' she's just half of the whole that resulted in my birth. Anyway, I sort of hoped that everything could go back to normal, but that hasn't happened. When she met me, I thought that she'd at least give me a _sign_ or something, but she hasn't. It's been over six months, Percy, and I haven't gotten squat from her. Nothing. No, 'Hey, just checking in,' or, 'How's it going? I'm glad you're doing well!' Nothing.

"Eventually I just stopped caring. If she doesn't have the decency for a simple Iris-Message, why the Hades should I care about her? Why should I pray to her or make sacrifices to her or give her _anything_? If she wants to rekindle things, that's fine, but I'm not gonna bend over backwards to make her happy."

Percy was quiet for a second. "Look," I said with a sigh, "I'm sorry about that. I'll just…keep it to myself."

"No," he said, "it was actually super helpful. But…well..."

"What?"

"…It's just…who's your mom?"

I closed my eyes. "I'll tell you when this is all over. I'm gonna go to sleep. Wake me when it's my turn. Good night."

"'Night."

* * *

A/N: Okay everyone, please leave a review so I know what you thought and follow and favorite to show me how much you love this story! PM me with questions and I'll do my best to get back to you.

Bye!


	10. Chapter 10

**The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Ten: Dangers**

I sat back in the comfy leather chair and sighed. The train was moving quickly, heading west over hills, trees, and small rivers. We'd managed to pay for tickets by returning a poodle we'd found a few feet from our encampment. One phone call later, and we had enough money to get us that much closer to LA.

Percy was squirming in his seat, his eyes locked on the window.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

He broke eye contact with the window. "Bad feeling," he said. "Feel like something's watching us."

"Don't be ridiculous," Annabeth said. "There's nothing dangerous on board, Seaweed Brain."

"You sure about that, Wise Girl?" he shot back. "Because last time I checked, we weren't back at camp."

"So?"

" _So_ it means that we aren't safe. Who knows how many things could be lurking around here. Remember the Furies? Yeah, they're still around, so I wouldn't feel too safe if I were you."

"I didn't mean—"

"Enough," I said, noticing some passengers were looking up from their computers and books. "If something bad does happen, then we'll deal with it. Until then, I recommend sitting back and relaxing; gods know how much danger we'll face on the way to Hades, so we should use whatever time we have to get some rest."

They were silent, looking properly abashed, before Annabeth muttered something under her breath and pressed her forehead against the cold glass, staring out the window. Percy excused himself to get some snacks, and I closed my eyes to try and get some sleep before we faced more certain death.

-o-

The leaves crunched under my feet as I glided through the forest, bow in hand. A bird tweeted above me, and a squirrel scampered up a tree, following its mate. I smiled widely, increasing my speed. Better prey awaited.

The sun hung high in the sky, climbing higher and higher. It was summer, of _course_ Apollo would be enjoying the nice weather. The green grass shivered, perturbed by a gentle wind. The leaves of the trees swayed to and fro, the nymphs dancing to the sound of the wild. If I listened close, I could hear it too, feel it pulsing beneath my skin.

The deer had their heads down, munching on the grass. A calf walked on wobbly legs, its mother pushing its rear to keep it going. A tall guardian watched them, his antlers tall and proud.

 _Such beauty,_ I thought. But then I raised my bow. All things, no matter how wonderful, must have balance. It was part of my job to keep that balance, at least in this forest. A hunter only takes what he needs, never more, and never less. An old doe wouldn't be missed nor needed.

The arrow found its mark: the heart of an aging doe. The animal let out a cry and fell, staggering. The other deer froze for a moment before bolting into the woods. I advanced quickly, not intent on letting the animal suffer. Its breathing was labored as it looked at me with glossy black eyes.

I slid one of my knives out of its sheath and pressed it against the animal's neck, right above the trachea. I said a quick prayer—a blessing to nature and thanks for the blessing of my kill—before pressing down hard, ending the doe's life.

There was a rustle in the bushes behind me, and a moment later a sleek gray wolf emerged from the brush, nostrils sniffing.

"Hey, pretty puppy," I said, shuffling to face her. She yipped and nuzzled me, her fur warm. I laughed. "Hi, Winter." She licked my face and moved to eat. "Where are the others?" She gave a low growl that I took to mean _around_ and went back to eating.

"She's very pretty," a voice said. Winter and I were both on alert almost immediately, the both of us covering each other's backs, my bow raised, her teeth showing.

A shadowy figure emerged from the tree line: a boy with nut-brown hair, pale skin, and emerald eyes. He was dressed in a cloak of animal skins and had a hunting javelin strapped to his back.

"Who are you?" I asked, arrow notched.

"A friend," the boy responded, no more than fifteen. "You don't know me, but I know you. Hunter, skinwalker, animal-friend, wolf heart, beastling, Hunter's Heir, demigod, giant-spawn."

I raised an eyebrow. "Am I supposed to know what any of that means?"

"No," he admitted, "not yet, at least, though you will soon. Your gifts will show themselves soon, and you will need my aid to master them. Only then can you truly defeat your enemies."

"And you'll be the one to help with that?"

"I will. Seek me out in the tunnels below the earth, where all wild things fear to go." He stalked forward. "Never fear, all wild things know the mark of the beastling." He grabbed my arm, pulled back my sleeve, and wrapped a hand on my wrist. There was a burning sound, and I screamed. Winter let out a vicious howl and leaped at the boy, but he dissolved into mist before she could sink her teeth in.

I gasped and raised my arm, finding two large circles, one inside the other, intersected with six straight lines like spears.

-o-

I woke with a loud gasp, chest heaving. It was dark outside, and Percy and Annabeth were snoozing across from me, Annabeth's head on his shoulder. Percy had a little spit leaking from the corner of his mouth, but he looked content enough, so I didn't find it too gross.

I swallowed and looked at my arm. I could still feel the searing pain, though my skin was as smooth as ever. As the train passed between two trees, the moon shone just long enough for me to make out the symbol with the two circles.

 _All wild things know the mark of the beastling,_ the boy had said. "What's a beastling?" I wondered aloud.

"Hmm?" a groggy voice across from me said. Annabeth had semi-woken from her slumber, a lock of golden hair stuck to her face. "Wha' you say?" she asked, drowsy.

I doubted she even knew she was awake, so I just said, "Nothing, Annabeth. Go back to sleep."

She mumbled incoherently then went back to snoring on Percy's shoulder. I leaned against the window, staring up at the silver orb in the sky. _Is this because of you?_ I wondered, doubtful if she would respond. _What does it mean? What's a beastling?_ When I received no answer, I turned away. _What else is new?_ I thought scornfully. I closed my eyes and tried my best to sleep, hoping no more dreams would find me.

-o-

Morpheus seemed to answer my prayers, because for the next two days no more dreams came. Our ticket only got us to Denver, so we'd still have to get the rest of the way there on our own. We'd crossed into St. Louis a few minutes ago, and Annabeth had been enraptured by the Gateway Arch as it appeared outside our window, though I personally didn't feel any measure of awe by it.

As we pulled into the Amtrak station, the intercom announced there'd be a three-hour layover so the train could refuel before we continued on to Denver.

I stretched and rose from my seat, gyrating my hips. "You guys wanna go get some food? I'm tired of eating this train muck."

Annabeth stood up abruptly. "Sightseeing first."

Percy and I exchanged nervous glances. "You sure that's a good idea?" Percy asked.

"This might be my only chance to see the Arch up close. Are you guys coming or not?"

I could tell Percy wanted to say no, but I just shrugged. "So long as we can grab some food while we're there."

Percy, beat by the two-to-one majority, sighed and said, "Fine."

The Arch was okay, all things considered. Nothing worth writing home to, but not dull or boring. Annabeth kept spouting off facts about the Arch—when it was built, the design for it, and the "geniuses" behind it—while Percy kept glancing around nervously and I munched on some trail mix I'd gotten from a vending machine.

"You alright?" I asked Percy, glancing over his shoulder for the fiftieth time in half an hour.

"I don't know. Feels… _unnatural_. You mean you don't feel anything?"

"Nope." I shook my head. "I think your encounter with the Fur—ahem, the Kindly Ones and Auntie Em have your nerves all jumbled."

"Yeah," he muttered, "maybe."

I began to zone out soon afterward, at least until Percy brought up Hades' Helm of Darkness.

"The Helm of Darkness is Hades' symbol of power," Annabeth explained, "like Zeus' Master Bolt and Poseidon's Trident. I saw it next to his seat on Olympus last year."

"He was there?"

"Only during the Winter Solstice," I said. "Darkest day of the year, when all the gods are needed."

"Anyway," Annabeth went on. "The Helm allows Hades to become darkness; melt into shadow or pass through walls. He can't be touched, or seen, or heard. And he can radiate fear so intense it can drive you insane or stop your heart. Why do you think all rational creatures fear the dark?"

"Then how do we know he isn't here right now, watching us?"

That sent a shiver up my spine, almost like a certain god breathing down my neck.

"We don't," I said.

We all crammed inside of an elevator, and my stomach was _not_ having it. As someone who spent the vast majority of my life in the wilderness with no borders, I wasn't too keen on tight spaces. The elevator took us up, inside of the Arch, at a curve, because apparently the designers wanted to torture any future tourists.

A fat lady dressed like Mrs. Puff from SpongeBob was with us, along with her dog. You'd think that a dog would be a big no-no, but the guards didn't seem to notice.

"No parents?" the lady asked.

"They're below," Annabeth said. "They're afraid of heights."

"Oh, the poor dears."

The dog growled, showing is pointy white teeth. Were chihuahuas _supposed_ to have teeth that were that sharp?

"Now, now, sonny. Behave." The fat woman tugged on his leash. The dog stopped growling, but kept his teeth bared.

"Sonny," Percy said. "That's his name?"

"Oh, no," said the fat woman, like it cleared up everything. _I'm getting a bad feeling about this._

At the top of the Arch, the observation deck reminded me of a tin can with carpeting. Rows of tiny windows looked out over the city on one side and the river on the other. The view was okay, but if there's anything I like less than a confined space, it's confined space six hundred feet in the air.

Annabeth was loving it, talking about all the different designs she would have made; larger windows, see-through floor, better structural supports, blah, blah, blah.

The ranger at the top called out that the observation deck would be closing in a few minutes, and that we should start heading toward the elevators. I didn't argue. There were already two people on the elevator, so one of us would have to stay for the next car. Annabeth had already stepped on board, so I turned to offer Percy the open spot when a woman brushed by me, sliding her finger along my neck.

I whirled around, affronted, only to see a familiar blonde stepping into the elevator. She had ditched her white dress in favor of a faded trench coat, sunglasses, and a hat, though I could still recognize her. She lifted up her glasses and winked.

"Nio—"

The elevator door slammed shut before I could say any more. "We need to get down there," I said, gripping Percy's arm tightly.

"What? Why?"

"No time, we just need to—"

"—go? Oh, I don't think so, my dears." The fat woman stood behind us, her dog yapping at our feet. "Now, now, sonny. Does this look like a good time? We have all these nice people here."

The dog growled some more, foam frothing from its black lips. "Well, son," she said, "if you insist."

"Urn, did you just call that Chihuahua your son?" Percy asked, looking pale.

"Chimera, dear," the fat lady corrected. "Not a Chihuahua. It's an easy mistake to make." She rolled up her denim sleeves, revealing that the skin of her arms was scaly and green. When she smiled, I saw that her teeth were fangs. The pupils of her eyes were side-ways slits, like a reptile's.

The Chihuahua barked louder, and with each bark, it grew. First to the size of a Doberman, then to a lion. The bark became a roar.

A little boy screamed in fear, his parents dragging him toward the elevator.

The Chimera was now so tall its back rubbed against the roof. It had the head of a lion with a blood-caked mane, the body and hooves of a giant goat, and a serpent for a tail, a ten-foot-long diamondback growing right out of its shaggy behind. The rhinestone dog collar still hung around its neck, and the plate-sized dog tag was now easy to read: CHIMERA—RABID, FIRE-BREATHING, POISONOUS—IF FOUND, PLEASE CALL TARTARUS—EXT. 954.

"Oh, sweet Hades," I said, feeling sick.

Percy was feeling the same, and the lady noticed, because she said, "Be honored, Percy Jackson. Lord Zeus rarely allows me to test a hero with one of my brood. For I am the Mother of Monsters, the terrible Echidna!" She turned toward me. "And you, abomination, will pay in full for the crimes your mother has committed against my children."

The chimera lunged, and I only just managed to roll out of the way. I summoned my bow and shot an arrow, but the beast knocked it aside with its tail.

Percy charged, shouting and swinging. He brought the sword down on the monster's neck, but it slid sideways and opened its mouth, shooting a ball of flame toward the son of Poseidon, who managed to throw himself out of harm's way. A loud explosion rocked the observation deck, and a large portion of one of the walls was suddenly gone.

 _Wonderful._

I leaped onto the creature's back, hoping to stab one of its eyes, but the snake head wrapped around my feet and pulled me off, throwing me across the room, hitting the wall next to the smoking hole.

Percy's leg was torn and bleeding; he'd somehow gotten cut. His sword was missing as well, likely out the window. He was moving back as well, so we were both in front of the hole. I grabbed the hilts of my knives, though I knew we were doomed; the chimera had only been killed by Bellerophon, and that had been with the help of Pegasus and a lead ball. I had a magic bow and two ordinary hunting knives, and Percy had nothing.

We were doomed.

"Hunter, do you trust me?" Percy asked.

"I guess, why?"

"Because I'm about to do something crazy."

"How crazy could it possibly—OH HADES!"

The freaking idiot _jumped,_ pulling me with him.

-o-

I'd like to say that I was super brave in the face of death…

…but instead I screamed my head off. I had a brief thought that time should seem to slow down, but instead it was on hyperdrive. I had somehow lost hold of Percy, and the world was a blur; I closed my eyes because I didn't want my last sight to be my own body being smashed against the water. I hit the water with a…

…thud?

I opened my eyes slowly, sure I was dead. But I wasn't. I was standing on the surface of the water. Yes, _standing._ I looked over to the shore, but it wasn't shallow enough for me to be standing on a sandbar or the shore.

"How…?"

"Strange, isn't it?" a voice called. There, standing on the shore, was the queen of Thebes herself.

"How are you here, Niobe?"

She took off her hat, shaking her blonde curls free. "Magic, duh," she said dismissively.

"Then how am I not dead?"

"Magic, duh."

"Then how am I walking on water?"

"Magi—actually, that isn't magic, or anything related to me. Gift from Daddy. Never expected you to actually inherit _that_ ability, but hey"—She shrugged—"that's just how the cookie crumbles. Is that the saying? Anyway, you're turning out to be full of surprises, darling."

"Don't call me that," I said, scowling. I had reached shore now and was stalking toward her. "Why are you here?"

"To offer you a chance to come with me. The gods won't help you, honey, you must know that. Artemis hasn't even _tried_ to contact you, Apollo can't even muster the energy to build you a _cabin,_ and nobody's explained that mark on your arm yet."

I flinched. "How do you—"

"—know? Simple, really. I've spent the last twelve years studying every form of magic I can get my hands on, and, honey, you _reek_ of nature magic. If you come with me, I can help you understand it."

"No thanks, Niobe. Why don't you go back to being stone, eh?"

Her eyes blazed. "Do not tempt me, child. I could smite you with a snap of my fingers."

"Then you'd have spent thirteen years scheming for nothing. You need me for something, Niobe, and until that something has been achieved, I'm more important to you alive than dead."

She scoffed. "Fine, then! We'll speak again soon, child, when you are ready to speak to me with more respect." She snapped her fingers and disappeared.

"Hunter!" Annabeth was running toward me. "What happened? Where's Percy?"

"Right here," Percy said, walking out of the water, completely dry, carrying three small pearls in his hand.

"How are you-?"

"I'll explain everything later," he said, "but we need to go."

"Good idea," Annabeth said.

We turned and ran from the scene, heading for the train. Half an hour later, we were thundering down the track toward Denver, and that much closer to Hades.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading, everyone. Remember, reviews fuel the flame for my creativity.

See you next time.

Bye.


	11. Chapter 11

**The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Eleven: I Get to Meet Damien's Daddy**

Our train rolled into Denver a week before the Solstice. We were hungry, and smelly, and I'm pretty sure I had gum on the bottom of my shoe; so yeah, we were doing just fine.

"Let's try to contact Chiron," Annabeth said. "I want to tell him about your talk with the river spirit." Percy had told us about his talk with the naiad in the river, and Annabeth had had a sinking (sorry, bad pun) about it ever since.

"We can't use phones, right?" Percy said.

"I'm not talking about phones."

After some wandering we found a do-it-yourself car wash that was empty. We all kept looking out for patrol cars, because three smelly adolescents in an empty car was with no car are in no way suspicious.

"Grab a spray can," Annabeth told me.

"It's seventy-five cents," I said, fishing around my pocket for spare change. I had sixty-five cents plus two gold drachmas. "You guys got a dime?"

Annabeth held her hands out hopelessly. "Nope, sorry."

"Percy?"

"Uh…gimme a sec." He rummaged around in his pockets before pulling out a silver coin and flicking it at me. "There you go."

I caught it and put it into the machine. "Thanks."

"So what are we doing here?"

"Sending an Iris-message." I scowled. "The connection's gonna suck, and my arm's getting tired, so make it quick."

"That's fine," Annabeth said.

"Hold on," Percy cut in, "what's an Iris-message?"

"The rainbow goddess Iris carries messages for the gods. If you

know how to ask, and she's not too busy, she'll do the same for half-bloods."

"Also no electricity, so monsters can't track it."

"Wait," Percy said, "you can summon a goddess with a spray gun?"

"Unless you know a better way to make a rainbow," I said. "How about it, son of Poseidon? Make a little ocean mist for us?"

He rasied his hands. "Okay, jeez, sorry I asked."

The sun broke through a few minutes later and made a multi-colored mirage. Annabeth took out a drachma and threw it through the mist. "O goddess, accept out offering. Half-Blood Hill," she requested.

A moment later, Camp Half-Blood appeared in the image. We seemed to be on the porch of the Big House. Standing with his back to us at the railing was a sandy-haired guy in shorts and an orange tank top. He was holding a bronze sword and seemed to be staring intently at something down in the meadow.

"Luke!" I called.

He turned, eyes wide. I could swear he was standing three feet in front of me through a screen of mist, except I could only see the part of him that appeared in the rainbow.

"Percy!" His scarred face broke into a grin. "Is that Annabeth, too? Thank the gods! Are you guys okay?"

"We're ... uh ... fine," Annabeth stammered. She was madly straightening her dirty T-shirt, trying to comb the loose hair out of her face. "We thought—Chiron—I mean—"

"He's down at the cabins." Luke's smile faded. "We're having some issues with the campers. Listen, is everything cool with you? Is Hunter all right?"

"I'm good." I waved a hand over the image. "You see me? I'm right here."

"I see you, Hunter," Luke said, sounding amused.

"What's happened?"

Just then a big Lincoln Continental pulled into the car wash with its stereo turned to maximum hip-hop. As the car slid into the next stall, the bass from the subwoofers vibrated so much, it shook the pavement.

"Chiron had to—what's that noise?" Luke yelled.

"I'll take care of it.'" Annabeth yelled back, looking very relieved to have an excuse to get out of sight. "Hunter, come on!"

"I'm coming," I said, handing Percy the nozzle.

"Let me do the talking," Annabeth said.

"What can I do?"

"Stand behind me and look intimidating."

"I'm a thirteen-year-old boy wearing a bright orange T-shirt, Annabeth. I am the least intimidating person on the planet."

"Then shut up and be my backup!"

"Fine," I said, holding my hands out. "Just don't be surprised when the guy tells you to shove it."

Said guy was still in his car, sifting through a brown wallet for some change. Annabeth knocked on his window. When he didn't notice, she knocked again, harder. He rolled down the window, his eyes hidden by black sunglasses. He looked like a walrus, with a large brown mustache, flabby cheeks, and a balding head with hair on the sides and the back. "Yeah?"

"Hi." Annabeth's voice rose to be heard over the sound of the music. "Our friend's making a phone call. Can you please turn down the music?"

"Shove it," the man said. Annabeth didn't look surprised. "Tell your friend to make his call some other time."

"Listen, sir," she said, voice dangerously close to anger, "we'll only take a few minutes, so if you could please—"

"Listen, girl, I couldn't give a rat's backside if you need a few minutes, this music is staying on, and you can kiss my butt if you think I'm gonna turn it down for punks like you." Just to emphasize his point, he turned the knob that controlled the volume, and now I couldn't even hear myself think.

Annabeth's eyes went wide. "You—"

I pushed her aside quickly, reached into the man's car, grabbed the volume knob, turned it down, and pulled. It came loose with a snap, leaving a blue and red wire exposed, and the lot silent.

"Hey!" The man pushed open his door and stepped out, the car rising as his weight was lifted from it. "Do you have any idea how much—"

Annabeth's arm sprung forward, delivering a punch that knocked the man onto his side with an "oof." He raised a hand to his nose that came away red. "I-I'm bleeding."

"That's right," I said. "Now here's what's gonna happen: you're gonna get back in your car, wait for us to leave, wash your car and your fat walrus face off, go home, and not speak a word of this to anyone"—I pulled a knife from my belt—"or it won't only be your nose that's bleeding."

He looked up fearfully, jowls shaking. "Y-You wouldn't! Not for a measly phone call."

"We take our phone calls very seriously," I said, knife twirling. "We gonna have any more problems?"

"N-No, sir."

"Good." I pulled him up by his shoulders, dusted off his jacket, and held his door open for him. "We'll let you know when we're done," I said, closing the door behind him. As an afterthought, I dragged the edge of my blade across his door, leaving a long scratch along the paint.

"That was pretty cool," Annabeth said as we walked back to Percy.

"So was you punching the guy."

She shrugged, smiling. "I guess we're both pretty cool."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Then how'd we end up with a square like Percy?" I whispered.

She laughed and shook her head. "Fate must've been playing a joke on us."

"I guess so."

Percy's face made us smiling. Okay, that sounded wrong. What I _meant_ was, something was wrong, and Percy's face gave us all the info we needed.

"What happened?"

"Not much," he said, obviously lying. "Come on, let's grab some dinner."

-o-

The place we found was small, chrome, and homey—like one of the roadside diners you'd see in the fifties, with red stools, a music machine, and a big florescent light outside.

The waitress came over, gave us a once-over, and said, "Well?"

"Um," Percy said, "we'd like to order, please."

"You kids got money?"

I looked at Percy hopelessly while Annabeth looked about ready to keel over from hunger and exhaustion. Meanwhile, Percy looked like he was thinking hard, hopefully coming up with a convincing reason for us to not be kicked out.

"We—"

A rumble shook the building, and a motorcycle the size of a small bear pulled onto the curb. All conversation in the diner stopped. The motorcycle's headlight glared red. Its gas tank had flames painted on it, and a shotgun holster riveted to either side, complete with shotguns. The seat was leather—but leather that looked like ... well, human skin.

The guy riding it was even uglier—face riddled with scars, strong jaw, slicked-back hair, and a cruel smile. He was dressed in a red muscle shirt, black jeans, a black duster, and shades. A hunting knife was strapped to his thigh.

He walked into the diner, smirking, and everyone stood up at once. He waved a hand, and they all sat down again and went back to their food. The waitress asked, "You kids got money?" again, but this time the biker answered for us.

"It's on me." He slid into the booth, squishing Annabeth against the wall. He looked up at the waitress, who was gaping at him, and said, "Are you still here?" He pointed at her, and she stiffened. She turned as if she'd been spun around, then marched back toward the kitchen.

He turned towards Percy, who coiled up his fists and clenched his teeth. Just looking at the guy made me angry too, and it didn't help that he reminded me of the biggest jerk at camp.

"So you're old Seaweed's kid, huh?" the man asked, grinning.

"What's it to you?" Percy asked, voice low.

"Percy," I said, "you can't—"

The man raised a hand. "It's cool. I don't mind a little attitude, so long as he remembers who's boss. You know who I am, little cousin?"

Percy swallowed. "You're Ares, Clarisse's dad."

 _He's Damien's father too, then._ No wonder this dude pissed me off—he was literally radiating every negative emotion: hatred, anger, resentment, fear.

Ares grinned and took off his shades. Where his eyes should've been, there was only fire, empty sockets glowing with miniature nuclear explosions. "That's right, punk. I heard you broke Clarisse's spear."

"She was asking for it."

"Probably. That's cool. I don't fight my kids' fights, you know? What I'm here for—I heard you were in town. I got a little proposition for you."

The waitress came back with heaping trays of food—cheeseburgers, fries, onion rings, and chocolate shakes.

Ares handed her a few gold drachmas.

She looked nervously at the coins. "But, these aren't..."

Ares pulled out his huge knife and started cleaning his fingernails. "Problem, sweetheart?"

She stayed quiet and beat a hasty retreat.

"You can't do that," Percy told Ares. "You can't just threaten people with a knife."

Ares laughed. "Are you kidding? I love this country. Best place since Sparta. Don't you carry a weapon, punk? You should. Dangerous world out there. Which brings me to my proposition. I need you to do me a favor."

I scoffed. "There it is—a god who needs something done but is too lazy to do it himself. Classic move. Luck there was a group of demigods nearby, eh?"

He turned to look at me, lips stretched out in a humorless smile. After a long silence he said, "So you're the punk Sunny Butt's been keeping away."

"How do you know about that?"

"I have my ways. Can't say I wasn't surprised to learn about you, though. Never figured Arty'd be the 'child-bearing' type, what with her vow and all. I guess that makes you twice the freak." He chuckled. "Wait until Olympus gets a look at you." When I flinched, he held a hand up. "Don't worry, I won's snitch. They're both particularly fond of you, for whatever reason, and I don't think they'd appreciate me spilling the beans on you just yet. Besides, I'm not the gossipy type. Just do what I want, and I'll keep your little secret between us." He cocked an eyebrow. "Surprised? It's those eyes of yours, punk. Anyone whose seen your mother's will recognize 'em from a mile away."

"Hunter," Annabeth cut in, "what's he talking about?"

"Oh, you don't know? Well, this is awkward."

"Why are you here, Ares?"

"Like I said, I need a favor. It's nothing much. I left my shield at an abandoned water park here in town. I was going on a little ... date with my girl-friend. We were interrupted. I left my shield behind. I want you to fetch it for me."

"We're not interested," Percy said. "We've already got a quest."

Ares's eyes bored into him. "I know all about your quest, punk. When that item was first stolen, Zeus sent his best out looking for it: Apollo, Athena, Artemis, and me, naturally. If I couldn't sniff out a weapon that powerful..." He licked his lips, as if the very thought of the master bolt made him hungry. "Well ... if I couldn't find it, you got no hope. Nevertheless, I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt. Your dad and I go way back. After all, I'm the one who told him my suspicions about old Corpse Breath."

"You told him Hades stole the bolt?"

"Sure. Framing somebody to start a war. Oldest trick in the book. I recognized it immediately. In a way, you got me to thank for your little quest."

"Thanks," he grumbled.

"Hey, I'm a generous guy. Just do my little job, and I'll help you on your way. I'll arrange a ride west for you and your friends."

"We're doing fine on our own."

"Yeah, right. No money. No wheels. No clue what you're up against. Help me out, and maybe I'll tell you something you need to know. Something about your mom."

Percy's eyes widened. "My mom?"

He grinned. "That got your attention. The water park is a mile west on Delancy. You can't miss it. Look for the Tunnel of Love ride."

"What interrupted your date?" he asked. "Something scare you off?"

Ares bared his teeth, but there was something off about it, almost like he was afraid.

"You're lucky you met me, punk, and not one of the other Olympians. They're not as forgiving of rudeness as I am. I'll meet you back here when you're done. Don't disappoint me." When I blinked, he was gone.

"This isn't good," I said. "Percy, he sought you out."

"It's probably some kind of trick," he said. "Forget Ares. Let's just go."

"We can't," Annabeth said. "Look, I hate Ares as much as anybody, but you don't ignore the gods

unless you want serious bad fortune. He wasn't kidding about turning you into a rodent."

"Why does he need us?" he asked, looking down at his cheeseburgers.

"Maybe it's a problem that requires brains," Annabeth said. "Ares has strength. That's all he has. Even strength has to bow to wisdom sometimes."

"But this water park ... he acted almost scared. What would make a war god run away like that?"

Annabeth and I glanced nervously at each other.

Annabeth said, "I'm afraid we'll have to find out."

"But before we do," I said, stacking onion rings into my burger, "we'd better eat, because I have no intention of dying on an empty stomach."

-o-

The sun had set by the time we reached the park, which was padlocked tight. Inside, huge dry waterslides and tubes and pipes curled everywhere, leading to empty pools. Old tickets and advertisements fluttered around the asphalt. With night coming on, the place looked sad and creepy. I had half a mind to look for cameras, because we looked about to walk onto the set of a horror movie.

"If Ares brings his girlfriend here," Percy said, "I'd hate to see what she looks like."

"Percy," Annabeth warned. "Be more respectful."

"Why? I thought you hated Ares."

"He's still a god. And his girlfriend is very tempera-mental."

"You don't want to insult her looks."

"Who is she? Echidna?"

"No, Aphrodite. Goddess of love."

"I thought she was married to somebody," I said. "Hephaestus."

"What's your point?" I asked. "Gods aren't as strict about marriage as you'd think, Percy. Look at your dad—he's married to Amphitrite, but here you are."

"Oh. So how do we get in?"

"Maia!" My shoes sprouted wings. I rose unsteadily, accidentally flipped once, then fell on my back. I let out a gasp and rose to my feet, dusting off my clothes. "You coming or what?"

They climbed the fence quickly, careful not to hurt themselves. We stumbled upon an old gift shop, stuffed full of toys, water bottles, and—

"Clothes," Annabeth said.

"You can't be serious."

"Do I look like I'm kidding?"

She disappeared with a handful of clothes, and appeared a minute later, wearing Waterland flower-print shorts, a big red Waterland T-shirt, and commemorative Waterland surf shoes. A Waterland backpack was slung over her shoulder, obviously stuffed with more goodies.

Percy gave me a shrug. "Couldn't hurt, right?"

A few minutes later I was a walking advertisement. _Guess I'm killing myself, then,_ I thought as I stepped out of the changing room. _If Apollo were to see me in this…_ I shuddered, too afraid to finish that thought.

After a little more exploring, we came across an empty pool that was at least fifty yards across and shaped like a bowl. Around the rim, a dozen bronze statues of Cupid stood guard with wings spread and bows ready to fire. On the opposite side from us, a tunnel opened up, probably where the water flowed into when the pool was full. The sign above it read, THRILL RIDE O' LOVE: THIS IS NOT YOUR PARENTS' TUNNEL OF LOVE!

"Hey," I said, standing over the edge, "come check this out."

Marooned at the bottom of the pool was a pink-and-white two-seater boat with a canopy over the top and little hearts painted all over it. In the left seat, glinting in the fading light, was Ares's shield, a polished circle of bronze.

"No way," Percy said, shaking his head. "It's too easy. It can't be that easy, can it?"

Annabeth ran her fingers along the base of the nearest Cupid statue. "There's a Greek letter carved here," she said. "Eta. I wonder ..."

He looked at me. "You don't suppose this is a trap, do you?"

"Oh, it's definitely a trap, but I don't see any other option we have, unless you have a grappling hook?"

"Fresh out. I'm going down there."

"I'll come with you."

"No. I want you to stay up top with the flying shoes. You're the Red Baron, a flying ace, remember? I'll be counting on you for backup, in case something goes wrong."

I let out a sigh. "Fine."

"Annabeth, come with me—"

"Are you kidding?" She looked at me as if I'd just dropped from the moon. Her cheeks were bright red.

"What's the problem now?" I demanded.

"Me, go with you to the ... the 'Thrill Ride of Love'? How embarrassing is that? What if somebody saw me?"

"Who's going to see you?" he said, cheeks flushed and red.

I laughed. "Don't worry, Annabeth, I _certainly_ won't tell any of your siblings about it."

She glared at me so hard I felt the hairs rise on the back of my neck.

"Fine," Percy said, "I'll do it myself." But as he began to climb down, Annabeth followed him.

"Try and keep it clean, you two!" I called, smiling. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

They reached the boat, no problem; but when Percy reached down, it wasn't the shield he grabbed—it was silky pink scarf. _Aphrodite's, no doubt._ Percy lifted it up carefully and looked ready to nuzzle it when Annabeth snatched it out of his hands. They had a heated discussion for a few seconds— _Like an old married couple,_ I thought, smirking—before Percy, scowling, reached for the shield.

Something immediately went wrong.

Noise erupted all around us, of a million gears grinding, as if the whole pool were turning into one giant machine.

"Guys," I called, "we need to go!"

On the rim, the Cupid statues were drawing their bows into firing position. They didn't fire at Percy or Annabeth, though. They fired at each other, across the rim of the pool. Silky cables trailed from the arrows, arcing over the pool and anchoring where they landed to form a huge golden asterisk. Then smaller metallic threads started weaving together magically between the main strands, making a net.

 _This isn't good,_ I thought, diving toward one section of the net. I grabbed a piece of it with both hands and forced it open. "Hurry!" I yelled as the threads began to wrap around my fingers. Below, they were trying to climb out, but they kept slipping, and the giant shield wasn't helping.

The Cupids' heads popped open. Out came video cam-eras. Spotlights rose up all around the pool, blinding us with illumination, and a loudspeaker voice boomed: "Live to Olympus in one minute...Fifty-nine seconds, fifty-eight..."

"Hephaestus!" Annabeth screamed. "I'm so stupid. Eta is 'H.' He made this trap to catch his wife with Ares. Now we're going to be broadcast live to Olympus and look like absolute fools!"

They were almost at the rim when the row of mirrors opened…

…and a thousand tiny spiders crawled out.

Annabeth screamed. "Spiders!" Annabeth said. "Sp—sp—aaaah!" _That's right! Athena kids are afraid of spiders._ I recalled one time a few months ago when a Daddy Long-Legs managed to find its way in through an open window. The entire cabin went on lockdown for two whole days while they combed the place for any more spiders. It had been finny at the time, but this…

She fell backward in terror and almost got overwhelmed by the spider robots before Percy pulled her up and dragged her back toward the boat. Percy picked Annabeth up and threw her onto the boat, kicking away as they got closer. A few crawled up my arm, and I swatted them away, disgusted.

"Thirty, twenty-nine," called the loudspeaker.

I kept trying to swoop down and pry the net apart, but every time I got close the spiders would swarm toward me, hissing. _Disgusting little things._

"Fifteen, fourteen," the loudspeaker called.

Suddenly Percy called, "Hunter! Get to the booth and press the 'on' switch!"

"Are you—"

"Just do it!" The spiders were all over the prow of the boat now. Annabeth was screaming her head off.

I released the net and flew to the operating booth, pressing every button I could get my hands on, but none of them were working. _Why can't these stupid things just be labeled?_

"Five, four—"

I looked up, having pressed every single button, and raised my hands. _Nothing,_ I meant to say.

Percy closed his eyes and concentrated.

"Two, one, zero!"

Water exploded out of the pipes. It roared into the pool, sweeping away the spiders. Percy pulled Annabeth into the seat next to him and fastened her seat belt just as the tidal wave slammed into their boat, over the top, whisking the spiders away and dousing us completely, but not capsizing them. The boat turned, lifted in the flood, and spun in circles around the whirlpool.

The water was full of short-circuiting spiders, some of them smashing against the pool's concrete wall with such force they burst. Spotlights glared down. The Cupid-cams were rolling, live to Olympus.

Annabeth and Percy shot down the tunnel, out of sight. I rushed to follow, hoping the shoes would cooperate. I didn't get myself killed, which was good, and I ended up at the exit right as Percy and Annabeth launched themselves out of the boat just before it smashed into the chained gate to the ride. I swooped down and grabbed them by their shirts, trying to stop them, but it wasn't enough. Their momentum was too much, and I couldn't save them.

"We're going down!" I yelled, preparing for the impact.

We crashed into a photo-board, my head going through one of the holes that tourists can look through. Annabeth and Percy crash landed somewhere else, bruised but alive.

A hundred yards away, at the entrance pool, the Cupids were still filming. The statues had swiveled so that their cameras were trained straight on us, the spotlights in our faces. Anger boiled in my chest. I pulled my face free, stood up, and raised two of my fingers in a gesture most of the Olympians would find distasteful.

"Show's over!" I yelled. "Thank you! Good night!"

The Cupids turned back to their original positions. The lights shut off. The park went quiet and dark again, except for the gentle trickle of water into the Thrill Ride of Love's exit pool. I wondered if Olympus had gone to a commercial break, or if our ratings had been any good.

I grit my teeth, frustrated. The gods were probably laughing at us right now, "Look at them," they were probably saying. "Look at the stupid little children and their stupid little problems."

Percy hefted his shield, looking as angry as I was. "We need to have a little talk

with Ares."

-o-

Ares was waiting for us. "Well, well," he said. "You didn't get yourself killed."

"You knew it was a trap," Percy said.

Ares gave me a wicked grin. "Bet that crippled blacksmith was surprised when he netted a couple of stupid kids. You looked good on TV." He pointed at me with his chin. "Nice move, kid. Gotta admit, never thought you had it in you."

"I'm full of surprises," I said.

Percy shoved his shield at him. "You're a jerk."

Both Annabeth and I caught our breaths. Jerk or no, Ares was a god, and likely wouldn't take kindly to name calling.

Ares grabbed the shield and spun it in the air like pizza dough. It changed form, melting into a bulletproof vest. He slung it across his back. "See that truck over there?" He pointed to an eighteen-wheeler parked across the street from the diner. "That's your ride. Take you straight to L.A., with one stop in Vegas."

The eighteen-wheeler had a sign on the back, reading: KINDNESS INTER-NATIONAL: HUMANE ZOO TRANSPORT. WARNING: LIVE WILD ANIMALS.

"You're kidding," said Percy.

Ares snapped his fingers. The back door of the truck unlatched. "Free ride west, punk. Stop complaining. And here's a little something for doing the job." He tossed a backpack at Percy, who caught it and checked inside.

"I don't want your lousy—"

"Thank you, Lord Ares," I said, giving a bow. "You've been most helpful." Percy looked ready to scream but slung the backpack over his back and stayed silent.

"You owe me one more thing," he told Ares, trying to keep his voice level. "You promised me information about my mother."

"You sure you can handle the news?" He kick-started his motorcycle. "She's not dead."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she was taken away from the Minotaur before she could die. She was turned into a shower of gold, right? That's metamorphosis. Not death. She's being kept."

"Kept. Why?"

"You need to study war, punk. Hostages. You take somebody to control somebody else."

"Nobody's controlling me."

He laughed. "Oh yeah? See you around, kid."

"You're pretty smug, Lord Ares, for a guy who runs from Cupid statues."

Before I could stop myself, I said, "Where do you think his kids get it from? He and Damien share more than just looks."

Behind his sunglasses, fire glowed. I felt a hot wind in my hair. "We'll meet again, Percy Jackson. Next time you're in a fight, watch your back." He looked at me, lips tight. "See you 'round, freak." He revved his Harley, then roared off down Delancy Street.

Annabeth said, "That was not smart, Percy."

"I don't care."

"You don't want a god as your enemy. Especially not _that_ god."

"Hey, guys," I said. "I hate to interrupt, but..." I pointed toward the diner. At the register, the last two customers were paying their check, two men in identical black coveralls, with a white logo on their backs that matched the one on the KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL truck. "If we're taking the zoo express, we need to hurry."

Percy still looked angry, but he said, "Yeah. Let's go; I've had enough of Denver."

"You and me both," I said.

We ran across the street and climbed in the back of the big rig, closing the doors behind us.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading, everyone. Remember that reviews fuel the flame that keeps this story going.


	12. Chapter 12

**The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Twelve: The Games We Play**

The inside of the van smelled awful, like a mixture of wet gym socks and day-old fish. Percy raised his sword, and we could all see why it smelled so horrible. Sitting in a row of filthy metal cages were three of the most pathetic zoo animals I'd ever beheld: a zebra, a male albino lion, and some weird antelope thing with large antlers.

The antelope and zebra had a tray full of ground beef in front of them, but seeing as they didn't eat meat, weren't interested. The lion had a large amount of turnips, but he wasn't interested in those either. The antelope had a silver balloon on its antler, saying: OVER THE HILL! while chewing gum was stuck to the zebra's matted mane. The white lion was pacing around on blankets that smelled of urine and feces, his ribs sticking out against his skin. Flies buzzed around his face, and he shook his head sadly to try and rid himself of them, but they weren't off him a moment before they were back, buzzing.

My heart broke to see them in such a degraded way. "This isn't right," I said quietly. "These animals should be free, not holed up in cages." I briefly considered feeding the drivers to the lion but thought better of it. After turnips, the last thing he'd want was tainted meat.

The car engines vibrated and we were forced to sit down to avoid rolling all around the floor. Annabeth wanted to let the animals go, but Percy shut her down, arguing that we'd probably look like a good roadside snack.

Percy found a water jug and refilled the water bowls, then rearranged the food, giving the lion the meat and the antelope and zebra the turnips. They didn't do more than look up sadly.

 _When we get to Vegas,_ I thought, hoping the animals could hear me somehow, _we'll let you go. I promise._

The antelope looked up, nose twitching. Something about it unnerved me, so I shuffled closer to get a better look. The antlers weren't normal antlers; instead of bone marrow, they looked like solid gold.

"The Ceryneian Hind," I murmured. An animal sacred to Artemis, the Hind was said to run faster than an arrow in flight. Heracles was sent to retrieve it as part of his twelve labors, and it took him a full year to catch up to it, and even then he needed Artemis's permission to bring it back.

"How'd they get you?" I asked, holding a hand out. The Hind reached forward and nuzzled my palm. "Question for a different time. When we get to Vegas, we'll let you go. I promise." The Hind sniffed and scooted back, content to sat there and watch me.

I wiggled back onto one of the sacks and closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep after a few minutes.

-o-

When I opened my eyes, I wasn't lying on the sack. I was stuck in the metal cage, a plate of turnips in front of me. _What is this?_ I wondered, looking around. I didn't have normal skin, or hands, or fingers. Looking down, I saw I had hooves made of glittering metal. I looked over.

My human body was still lying across the room, stiff as a rod. I tried to speak, but all that came out was a groan. _I'm inside the Hind,_ I realized with wonder. _How? How is…?_ Then I remembered the mark on my arm. Beastling, the boy had called it. Did that mean that I could control animals? Is that why I could see through Winter's eyes when I dreamed sometimes?

Annabeth and Percy were speaking softly. Annabeth was fiddling with her beads while Percy looked down at them. Annabeth looked aside sharply, then her face softened, and she went back to talking quietly. Eventually she turned over and went to sleep. Percy looked over at me for a minute, then he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

The Hind shook her head, and my vision faded.

-o-

I lurched forward, banging into the side of the truck. The animals were looking around, eyes wide. Annabeth was already awake, packing some things into the bag Ares had given us.

"Oh," she said, "you're awake. Good. The truck's stopped. Wake up Seaweed Brain and we can go."

I rolled over and saw the Hind looking at me, nose twitching. I wondered if it was normal for a person to experience dreams of animals, or if it was because I was a "beastling," whatever that was.

Shaking my head, I reached over and shook Percy, who woke with a start.

"Let's go," I said. "Trucks stopped; we need to go."

"Hide!" Annabeth said. "They're coming!"

She put her Yankees cap on and disappeared; Percy and I had to dive behind bags of feed and pray they didn't see us.

The trailer doors creaked open. Sunlight and heat poured in.

"Man!" one of the truckers said, waving his hand in front of his ugly nose. "I wish I hauled appliances." He climbed inside and poured some water from a jug into the animals' dishes. "You hot, big boy?" he asked the lion, then splashed the rest of the bucket right in the lion's face.

The lion roared in indignation.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the man said.

I clenched my teeth, my hand going for my knife. _Don't,_ a voice said. _They aren't worth it._

The trucker threw the antelope a squashed-looking Happy Meal bag. He smirked at the zebra. "How ya doin', Stripes? Least we'll be getting rid of you this stop. You like magic shows? You're gonna love this one. They're gonna saw you in half!"

The zebra whined and looked over at Percy, eyes wide. Percy suddenly went pale.

There was a loud knock, knock, knock on the side of the trailer.

The trucker inside with us yelled, "What do you want, Eddie?"

A voice outside—it must've been Eddie's—shouted back, "Maurice? What'd ya say?"

"What are you banging for?"

 _Knock, knock, knock._

Outside, Eddie yelled, "What banging?"

Our guy Maurice rolled his eyes and went back outside, cursing at Eddie for being an idiot.

A second later, Annabeth appeared next to me. She must've done the banging to get Maurice out of the trailer. She said, "This transport business can't be legal."

"Gee," I said, "I wonder why you'd think that."

Annabeth scowled. "These guys must be smugglers."

"Then we have to free them."

We both looked at Percy, silently waiting for his lead. He walked over to the zebra's cage and hacked at it with his sword. The bars broke, and the zebra cantered out. It bowed to Percy, who looked completely befuddled.

Just as Maurice was poking his head back inside to check out the noise, the zebra leaped over him and into the street. There was yelling and screaming and cars honking. We rushed to the doors of the trailer in time to see the zebra galloping down a wide boulevard lined with hotels and casinos and neon signs.

We'd just released a zebra in Las Vegas.

Maurice and Eddie ran after it, with a few policemen running after them, shouting, "Hey! You need a permit for that!"

"Now would be a good time to leave," Annabeth said.

"The other animals first," I said.

Percy nodded and cut through the lion and Hind's cages. The lion gave a sleepy growl and walked past us, shaking his mane. It leapt out of the van; more people screamed and ran. The Hind stayed in its cage, looking at me.

"Go," I said, waving a hand.

The deer bowed its head quickly and zipped out of the van, leaving a golden streak behind it. Percy and Annabeth gaped. "What…?"

"Don't worry about it," I said, hopping out. "You guys coming or not?"

We stumbled out into the desert afternoon. It was a hundred and ten degrees, easy, and we must've looked like deep-fried vagrants, but everybody was too interested in the wild animals to pay us much attention.

We passed the Monte Carlo and the MGM. We passed pyramids, a pirate ship, and the Statue of Liberty, which was a pretty small replica, but still pretty cool. I wasn't sure what we were looking for. Maybe just a place to get out of the heat for a few minutes, find a sandwich and a glass of lemonade, make a new plan for getting west.

We must have taken a wrong turn, because we found ourselves at a dead end, standing in front of the Lotus Hotel and Casino. The entrance was a huge neon flower, the petals lighting up and blinking. No one was going in or out, but the glittering chrome doors were open, spilling out air-conditioning that smelled like flowers—lotus blossom, maybe. I'd never smelled one, so I wasn't sure.

The doorman smiled at us. "Hey, kids. You look tired. You want to come in and sit down?"

That made me nervous. Clearly this person was either a monster or some god, because nobody in their right mind would give three smelly teens in stupid amusement park clothes access to their expensive hotel.

"We'd love to come in," Percy said, eyes unfocused.

 _Apparently stranger-danger means nothing,_ I thought, but followed Percy in. I could almost hear Leto's voice in my ear, whispering: _If all your friends were walking into a strange hotel, would you do it too?_

 _Apparently so, Leto,_ I thought.

I stepped inside and my jaw dropped.

The whole lobby was a giant game room. And I'm not talking about cheesy old Pac-Man games or slot machines. There was an indoor waterslide snaking around the glass elevator, which went straight up at least forty floors. There was a climbing wall on the side of one building, and an indoor bungee-jumping bridge. There were virtual-reality suits with working laser guns. And hundreds of video games, each one the size of a widescreen TV. Basically, you name it, this place had it. There were a few other kids playing, but not that many. No waiting for any of the games. There were waitresses and snack bars all around, serving every kind of food you can imagine.

"Hey!" a bellhop said. At least I guessed he was a bell-hop. He wore a white-and-yellow Hawaiian shirt with lotus designs, shorts, and flip-flops. "Welcome to the Lotus Casino. Here's your room key."

Percy stammered, "Um, but..."

"No, no," he said, laughing. "The bill's taken care of. No extra charges, no tips. Just go on up to the top floor, loom 4001. If you need anything, like extra bubbles for the hot tub, or skeet targets for the shooting range, or what-ever, just call the front desk. Here are your LotusCash cards. They work in the restaurants and on all the games and rides." He handed us each a green plastic credit card.

"Cool," Annabeth said.

"Yeah," I said.

"Yeah," said Percy. "Wait. How much is on here?"

His eyebrows knit together. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when does it run out of cash?"

He laughed. "Oh, you're making a joke. Hey, that's cool. Enjoy your stay."

We took the elevator upstairs and checked out our room. It was a suite with three separate bedrooms and a bar stocked with candy, sodas, and chips. A hotline to room service. Fluffy towels and water beds with feather pillows. A big-screen television with satellite and high-speed Internet. The balcony had its own hot tub, and sure enough, there was a skeet-shooting machine and a shotgun, so you could launch clay pigeons right out over the Las Vegas skyline and plug them with your gun. I didn't see how that could be legal, but I thought it was pretty cool. The view over the Strip and the desert was amazing, though I doubted we'd ever find time to look at the view with a room like this.

"Oh, goodness," Annabeth said. "This place is ..."

"Sweet," I said. "Absolutely sweet."

I took a quick shower and took a moment to silently revel in the fact that I was _clean_ for the first time in what felt like forever.

There were clean clothes in the closet. I briefly considered questioning how they could get our measurements, then I saw a nice pair of jeans and I forgot about the strange circumstances of this hotel. Five minutes later, I was dressed comfortably and stylishly: black combat boots, black jeans, black skull T-shirt, and leather jacket with one knife at my hip and one on my boot.

(Okay, so it was a little goth, but what can I say? I like black; it's easier to stay hidden that way.)

Annabeth had already showered and was in the middle of wolfing down a bag of potato chips while the TV was played some nature show.

"All those stations," Percy told her, exiting the bathroom, hair wet, "and you turn on National Geographic. Are you insane?"

"It's interesting."

"This place feels good," I said. "I like it here."

"So what now?" Annabeth asked. "Sleep?"

Percy and I looked at each other and grinned. We both held up our green plastic LotusCash cards.

"Play time," Percy said.

Growing up with Apollo, I didn't get many opportunities to leave those isolated woods that had been my home for years. Sure, I got to go out sometimes under the watchful eyes of either Apollo or Leto, but even then it was only for a few hours, and I would always wish I could see and do more.

It was as if the gods had answered my prayers.

I did the waterslide, the artificial snowboarding, a few of the roller coasters, virtual-reality car races, and a billion others. I saw Percy and Annabeth running around, but then they would disappear and I'd lose track of them. I was having a blast.

Disneyland can suck it.

My breath caught when I saw the archery range. It stretched on for over a hundred feet, with real hills, rocks, trees, and streams. A large composite bow rested on a display case next to a rack of quivers. A small rectangular screen said, _Choose your difficulty: Beginner, Medium, Expert, Master._

I picked up the bow, uncomfortable with using a bow that wasn't my own, but quickly put those doubts to rest. The bow was perfectly balanced to my height and muscle capacity. The arrows were slick metal points that could've torn through flesh like it was nothing.

I hit the _Beginner_ button. _That's it?_ I wondered when it was done. Twelve targets popped up, large and wide, scattered all over the range. They didn't move, so hitting them wasn't very difficult. I got bull's eye on all but two, and even those had come pretty close.

 _Okay, let's take it up a notch._ The next difficulty wasn't too much harder, although the targets were smaller and they moved from side to side every five seconds, so it took some time for me to get all of them, but I did get them.

 _Come on, a little harder._ The next difficulty was much better: the targets moved up and down as well as side to side and were even smaller than before, so it would have been quite the challenge for any normal archer.

But I wasn't any normal archer.

"Awesome!" said a voice behind me.

Turning, I saw a little boy with dark hair and black eyes that shone with awe looking up at me. He was dressed plainly: button-up shirt, trousers, and shoes. His skin was olive with a pale tint to it, and his teeth were white.

"Hey, kid," I said, walking over to him. "You been watching me?"

He blushed and shuffled from foot to foot. "Well, uh, not exactly. Only for a minute or two—its just that…well, my sister really likes archery too, but she can't get past _Medium._ "

"It takes practice, kid."

"Oh, okay. See you—hold on, I see her. Do you mind if I go get her real quick?"

I shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"Awesome! Wait right here, I'll be back." He rushed off before I could so much as blink, and returned a minute later with a similar looking girl with a green cap.

"So my brother says you're good at archer," she said, hands on her hips.

I shrugged. "I like to think I'm pretty good."

"Okay, smart guy, show me."

"Can do," I said, turning on the _Master_ difficulty. The targets were nearly un-seeable now, as small as a human fist and moving so quickly that they were a blur. Industrial sized jets blew from all directions, messing up the line of fire. Plastic birds shot out from around the perimeter, right in front of the targets.

 _Okay, this is more like it._ I grabbed another quiver and notched an arrow. One by one I shot them, waiting about ten seconds to factor in wind speed and direction, all while pinpointing the best time to avoid the birds. In the end I only ended up hitting nine of the targets, but the girl still looked impressed.

"Wow," she said after a while. "That was…pretty cool."

"That was awesome!" the little boy said, jumping up and down on the balls of his feet.

I laughed. "Thanks." I offered her the bow. "Show me your stance."

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Your archery stance. Show me how you stand and how you hold your bow."

"Does it really matter?"

"Yeah. After a while your muscles'll begin to tire, not to mention your reach. Just show me how you stand, and I'll correct any flaws."

"Okay." She positioned herself accordingly, though there were still numerous flaws.

"Okay," I said, "that's good—just move your left foot back a little. Too much, a little forward. Good. Keep your feet parallel to your shoulders, and make sure your back is straight. That's it. Notch an arrow."

"But I'm not—"

"Just do it."

She pulled an arrow from its quiver.

"Bring your hand back to your chin. Like that, but don't hold it so close; when that arrow flies, it's gonna take a piece of your skin with it. There you go, now, remember: don't hold."

"What?"

"Your muscles tense when you hold. Notch your arrow, pull it back to your chin, and let go."

"But what if I need to aim?"

"Trust your eye. It knows where the arrow wants to go. Trust your eye."

"O-Okay," she said. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me yet, we still need to see if you understand what I said." I hit the _Medium_ button, and the targets sprang to life. "Just remember what I said, and you'll do fine."

"Okay," she said, then, to herself: "I can do this."

She fired again and again, and more targets got hit. Not bull's eyes, but pretty darn close. When the final arrow hit its mark, she let out a scream and dropped the bow.

"I did it!" she squealed. She turned around and hugged me. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

I laughed and hugged her back. "You're welcome."

"That was so cool!" her little brother said. "You did it, sis! You did it!"

"Yeah, I did." She blushed. "Thanks, Mister…"

"Hunter," I supplied. "Nice to meet you."

"Hi, Hunter, I'm—"

"Hunter!"

Percy suddenly grabbed my shoulder and whirled me around, Annabeth next to him.

"We need to go," he said.

"What? Why?"

"Because I said so, now let's go." He began to pull me away, Annabeth looking around frantically.

I gave a smile over my shoulder. "I'll see you around…"

"Bianca!" the girl called. "My name is Bianca!"

Percy and Annabeth pulled me through the doors, and suddenly I realized something was wrong. The air smelled of ozone, the sky cracked with heat lightning, and the wind made it hard to stand still. We walked over to a newspaper stand and the breath caught in my throat.

"Oh gods," I said, "is it…"

"June twelfth," Annabeth said, looking grim. "We were in there for five days."

"But that means…"

"…there's only one day left until the solstice," Percy finished. "One day to finish this quest."

 _Gods dammit._

* * *

A/N: Okay everyone, thanks for reading. Reviews help stave off procrastination, so keep 'em coming.

Bye!


	13. Chapter 13

**The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Thirteen: Hell**

We had done it. After several exhaustive days and sleepless nights, we had made it to the entrance to the Underworld.

After leaving the Lotus Hotel and running into a gang of street kids and a murderous mattress salesman (completely Annabeth's fault), we stood outside the DOA Recording Studios, looking in at the brightly lit lobby.* Behind the security desk sat a tough-looking guard with sunglasses and an earpiece.

"Okay," Percy said, throat working, "you guys ready?"

"Yeah," I said. "I'm ready."

"Me too," said Annabeth.

"Remember the plan?"

"The plan," I murmured. "Yeah, I love the plan; the plan's great."

"What if the plan doesn't work?" Annabeth asked.

"Which it won't," I muttered.

"Dude," Percy said.

"What?"

"You could at least _act_ like you have faith in the plan."

"Have you even _seen_ a movie of _any kind_? Whenever the heroes plan out some super elaborate plan, something always goes wrong."

"He's not wrong," Annabeth piped up.

"Every time. Trust me."

"You guys suck." Percy took a deep breath. "Just…follow my lead."

Muzak played softly on hidden speakers. The carpet and walls were steel gray. Pencil cactuses grew in the corners like skeleton hands. The furniture was black leather, and every seat was taken. There were people sitting on couches, people standing up, people staring out the windows or waiting for the elevator. Nobody moved, or talked, or did much of anything. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see them all just fine, but if I focused on any one of them in particular, they started looking ... transparent. I could see right through their bodies.

The security guard's desk was a raised podium, so we had to look up at him. He was tall and elegant, with chocolate-colored skin and bleached-blond hair shaved military style. He wore tortoiseshell shades and a silk Italian suit that matched his hair. A black rose was pinned to his lapel under a silver name tag.

"Your name is Chiron?" Percy blurted.

The man leaned over the desk, eyes hidden. It seemed to me like the temperature of the room had dropped a few degrees.

"What a precious young lad." He had a strange accent—British, maybe, but also as if he had learned English as a second language. "Tell me, mate, do I look like a centaur?"

"N-no."

"No, _sir_ ," he added smoothly.

"I don't think you need to call him sir, mister," I said. "I mean, look at him. Does he really seem like a 'sir' to you?"

"Dude!" Percy hissed.

Not Chiron looked over at me, his lips curling upward into a sinister smile. "And who might you be?" Before I could answer, he said, "Nobody important, that's who. Now, Nobody Important, why don't you let the young gentleman speak, while you keep your lips _SHUT_!"

I tried to open my mouth, but I couldn't get any words out, like my tongue had disappeared.

Turning back to Percy, he pinched the name tag and ran his finger under the letters. "Can you read this, mate? It says C-H -A-R-O-N. Say it with me: CARE-ON."

"Charon."

"Amazing! Now: Mr. Charon."

"Mr. Charon."

"Well done." He sat back. "I hate being confused with that old horse-man. And now, how may I help you little dead ones?"

"We want to go to the Underworld," Annabeth said hastily.

Charon's mouth twitched. "Well, that's refreshing."

"It is?" she asked.

"Straightforward and honest. No screaming. No 'There must be a mistake, Mr. Charon.'" He looked us over. "How did you die, then?"

Percy nudged me.

"Drowned!" I said, not thinking. "Uh, we drowned—in the bathtub!"

"All three of you?" Charon asked. We nodded.

"Big bathtub." Charon looked mildly impressed." I don't suppose you have coins for passage. Normally, with adults, you see, I could charge your American Express, or add the ferry price to your last cable bill. But with children ... alas, you never die prepared. Suppose you'll have to take a seat for a few centuries."

"But we have coins," Percy said, opening his hand and showing off the golden coins we'd taken from the psychotic mattress man's store.

"Well, now ..." Charon moistened his lips. "Real drachmas. Real golden drachmas. I haven't seen these in ..." His fingers hovered greedily over the coins. Then he looked up at Percy, mouth tightening.

"You couldn't read my name correctly. Are you dyslexic, lad?"

"No, I'm dead."

Charon leaned forward and took a sniff. "You're not dead. I should've known. You're a godling."

"We have to get to the Underworld," he insisted.

Charon made a growling sound deep in his throat. Immediately, all the people in the waiting room got up and started pacing, agitated, lighting cigarettes, running hands through their hair or checking their wristwatches. "Leave while you can," Charon told us. "I'll just take these and forget I saw you." He reached for the coins, but Percy snatched them away before he could grab them.

"No service, no tip." His voice was trembling.

Charon growled again—a deep, blood-chilling sound. The spirits of the dead started pounding on the elevator doors.

"Too bad, too," he said holding out the bag from Crusty's. "We had so much to offer."

Charon's growl changed into something more like a lion's purr. "Do you think I can be bought, godling? Eh...just out of curiosity, how much have you got there?"

"A lot," Percy said. "I bet Hades doesn't pay you well enough for such hard work."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it. How would you like to babysit these spirits all day? Always 'Please don't let me be dead' or 'Please let me across for free.' I haven't had a pay raise in three thousand years. Do you imagine suits like this come cheap?"

"You deserve better. A little appreciation. Respect. Good pay. "With each word, he stacked another gold coin on the counter.

Charon glanced down at his silk Italian jacket, as if imagining himself in something even better. "I must say, lad, you're making some sense now. Just a little."

He stacked another few coins. "I could mention a pay raise while I'm talking to Hades."

Charon sighed. "The boat's almost full, anyway. I might as well add you three and be off." He stood, scooped up our money, and said, "Come along."

We pushed through the crowd of waiting spirits, who started grabbing at our clothes like the wind, their voices whispering things I couldn't make out. Charon shoved them out of the way, grumbling, "Freeloaders."

He escorted us into the elevator, which was already crowded with souls of the dead, each one holding a green boarding pass. Charon grabbed two spirits who were trying to get on with us and pushed them back into the lobby.

"Right. Now, no one get any ideas while I'm gone," he announced to the waiting room. "And if anyone moves the dial off my easy-listening station again, I'll make sure you're here for another thousand years. Understand?" He shut the doors. He put a key card into a slot in the elevator panel and we started to descend.

"What happens to the spirits waiting in the lobby?" Annabeth asked.

"Nothing," Charon said.

"For how long?"

"Forever, or until I'm feeling generous."

"Oh," she said. "That's ... fair."

Charon raised an eyebrow. "Whoever said death was fair, young miss? Wait until it's your turn. You'll die soon enough, where you're going."

"We'll get out alive," Percy said.

"Ha."

At the moment, I was about as skeptical as Charon. Apollo had always said it was nearly impossible to escape Hades with your life, and I had always believed him. I shook my head. _Apollo's wrong about a lot of things,_ I told myself. _Why shouldn't he be wrong about this too?_

I got a sudden dizzy feeling. We weren't going down anymore, but forward. The air turned misty. Spirits around me started changing shape. Their modern clothes flickered, turning into gray hooded robes. The floor of the elevator began swaying. I blinked hard. When I opened my eyes, Charon's creamy Italian suit had been replaced by a long black robe. His tortoiseshell glasses were gone. Where his eyes should've been were empty sockets—like Ares's eyes, except Charon's were totally dark, full of night and death and despair.

"Well?" he asked Percy, who was also staring.

"Nothing," he managed.

I thought he was grinning, but that wasn't it. The flesh of his face was becoming transparent, letting me see straight through to his skull.

"I'm gonna be sick." I closed my eyes to keep from barfing, and when I opened them again, the elevator wasn't an elevator anymore. We were standing in a wooden barge.

Charon was poling us across a dark, oily river, swirling with bones, dead fish, and other, stranger things—plastic dolls, crushed car-nations, soggy diplomas with gilt edges.

"The River Styx," Annabeth murmured. "It's so..."

"Polluted," Charon said. "For thousands of years, you humans have been throwing in everything as you come across—hopes, dreams, wishes that never came true. Irresponsible waste management, if you ask me."

Mist curled off the filthy water. Above us, almost lost in the gloom, was a ceiling of stalactites. Ahead, the far shore glimmered with greenish light, the color of poison.

 _Gods above,_ I thought with dawning horror, _I can't do this. I never should've come here, I never should've joined this stupid quest, Niobe was right, I—_

A sudden calm washed over me, like when the moon emerged from the clouds. _You_ can _do this,_ a voice whispered. _You have come this far, there is only a little ways left to go._

I took a deep breath. "I can do this," I muttered to myself. "I'm ready."

The shoreline of the Underworld came into view. Craggy rocks and black volcanic sand stretched inland about a hundred yards to the base of a high stone wall, which marched off in either direction as far as we could see. A sound came from somewhere nearby in the green gloom, echoing off the stones—the howl of a large animal.

"Old Three-Face is hungry," Charon said. His smile turned skeletal in the greenish light. "Bad luck for you, godlings."

The bottom of our boat slid onto the black sand. The dead began to disembark. A woman holding a little girl's hand. An old man and an old woman hobbling along arm in arm. A boy no older than I was, shuffling silently along in his gray robe.

Charon said, "I'd wish you luck, mate, but there isn't any down here. Mind you, don't forget to mention my pay raise." He counted our golden coins into his pouch, then took up his pole. He warbled something that sounded like a Barry Manilow song as he ferried the empty barge back across the river.

We followed the spirits up a well-worn path.

Apollo had described the entrance to the Underworld to me in great detail. Hermes, one of Apollo's closest Olympian friends, had told him about it on his many visits to the Underworld.** The real thing looked just as I'd imagined it: three separate entrances under one huge black archway that said YOU ARE NOW ENTERING EREBUS. Each entrance had a pass-through metal detector with security cameras mounted on top. Beyond this were tollbooths manned by black-robed ghouls like Charon.

The dead queued up in the three lines, two marked ATTENDANT ON DUTY, and one marked EZ DEATH. The EZ DEATH line was moving right along. The other two were crawling.

"What do you figure?" Percy asked Annabeth.

"The fast line must go straight to the Asphodel Fields," she said. "No contest. They don't want to risk judgment from the court, because it might go against them."

"There's a court for dead people?"

"Yeah. Three judges. They switch around who sits on the bench. King Minos, Thomas Jefferson, Shakespeare—people like that. Sometimes they look at a life and decide that person needs a special reward—the Fields of Elysium. Sometimes they decide on punishment. But most people, well, they just lived. Nothing special, good or bad. So they go to the Asphodel Fields."

"And do what?"

"Exactly what they did in life," I said. "A while lot of nothing."

"Wait, seriously?"

I nodded. "Live life without being good or bad, and that's how you spend the afterlife. A monotonous existence without pleasure of pain, waiting for the day where you forget who you were and what you did to deserve what you got."

"That's…"

"…depressing?" I offered. "Welcome to Greek mythology, Percy."

Fifty feet in front of us, Cerberus appeared. He was obviously a purebred Rottweiler, except of course that he was twice the size of a woolly mammoth, mostly invisible, and had three heads.

The dead walked right up to him—no fear at all. The ATTENDANT ON DUTY lines parted on either side of him. The EZ DEATH spirits walked right between his front paws and under his belly, which they could do without even crouching.

"I'm starting to see him better," Percy muttered. "Why is that?"

"I think ..." Annabeth moistened her lips. "I'm afraid it's because we're getting closer to being dead."

The dog's middle head craned toward us. It sniffed the air and growled.

"It can smell the living," I said. "Let's hope this plan of yours works, Percy."

"Don't be ridiculous," Annabeth peeped, "of course it will work."

We moved toward the monster.

The middle head snarled at us, then barked so loud my eyeballs rattled. _He's a lot scarier than Apollo described._

Percy reached into his backpack, pulled out the bedpost of one of Crusty's beds, and threw it into the Styx with a cry of "Fetch!"

Cerberus didn't move.

"Uh, Percy," I said, "what was that?"

"The plan," he said meekly.

" _That_ was your plan? To play fetch with the world's biggest guard dog?"

"I thought it would work!"

"Well, clearly you—"

"Wait!" Annabeth said. She started rifling through her pack. She produced a red rubber ball the size of a grapefruit. It was labeled WATERLAND, DENVER, CO. Before I could stop her, she raised the ball and marched straight up to Cerberus.

She shouted, "See the ball? You want the ball, Cerberus? Sit!"

Cerberus looked as stunned as we were.

All three of his heads cocked sideways. Six nostrils dilated.

"Sit!" Annabeth called again.

I was sure that any moment she would become the world's largest Milkbone dog biscuit. But instead, Cerberus licked his three sets of lips, shifted on his haunches, and sat, immediately crushing a dozen spirits who'd been passing underneath him in the EZ DEATH line. The spirits made muffled hisses as they dissipated, like the air let out of tires.

Annabeth said, "Good boy!" She threw Cerberus the ball.

He caught it in his middle mouth. It was barely big enough for him to chew, and the other heads started snap-ping at the middle, trying to get the new toy.

"Drop it.'" Annabeth ordered.

Cerberus's heads stopped fighting and looked at her. The ball was wedged between two of his teeth like a tiny piece of gum. He made a loud, scary whimper, then dropped the ball, now slimy and bitten nearly in half, at Annabeth's feet.

"Good boy." She picked up the ball, ignoring the monster spit all over it.

She turned toward us. "Go now. EZ DEATH line—it's faster."

Percy said, "But—"

"Now.'" She ordered, in the same tone she was using on the dog.

We inched forward warily.

Cerberus started to growl.

"Stay!" Annabeth ordered the monster. "If you want the ball, stay!"

Cerberus whimpered, but he stayed where he was.

"What about you?" I asked Annabeth as we passed her.

"I know what I'm doing, Hunter," she muttered. "At least, I'm pretty sure..."

Percy and I walked between the monster's legs.

We made it through. Cerberus wasn't any less scary-looking from the back.

Annabeth said, "Good dog!"

She held up the tattered red ball, and probably came to the same conclusion I did—if she rewarded Cerberus, there'd be nothing left for another trick. She threw the ball anyway. The monster's left mouth immediately snatched it up, only to be attacked by the middle head, while the right head moaned in protest.

While the monster was distracted, Annabeth walked briskly under its belly and joined us at the metal detector.

"How did you do that?" Percy asked her, amazed.

"Obedience school," she said breathlessly, and I was surprised to see there were tears in her eyes.

"When I was little, at my dad's house, we had a Doberman..."

"Never mind that," I said, tugging at Percy's shirt. "Come on!"

We were about to bolt through the EZ DEATH line when Cerberus moaned pitifully from all three mouths. Annabeth stopped. She turned to face the dog, which had done a one-eighty to look at us.

Cerberus panted expectantly, the tiny red ball in pieces in a puddle of drool at its feet.

"Good boy," Annabeth said, but her voice sounded melancholy and uncertain.

The monster's heads turned sideways, as if worried about her.

"I'll bring you another ball soon," Annabeth promised faintly. "Would you like that?"

The monster whimpered. I didn't need to speak dog to know Cerberus was still waiting for the ball.

"Good dog. I'll come visit you soon. I—I promise." Annabeth turned to us. "Let's go."

Percy and I pushed through the metal detector, which immediately screamed and set off flashing red lights. "Unauthorized possessions! Magic detected!"

Cerberus started to bark.

We burst through the EZ DEATH gate, which started even more alarms blaring, and raced into the Underworld. A few minutes later, we were hiding, out of breath, in the rotten trunk of an immense black tree as security ghouls scuttled past, yelling for backup from the Furies.

"Percy," I whispered, "your plans freaking suck!"

"Shut up," Percy muttered, blushing.

I glanced at Annabeth, then looked away, pretending not to see her wipe a tear from her eye. It isn't nice to watch someone else cry.

-o-

The Fields of Asphodel was among the most depressing places I had ever been. Millions—maybe even billions—of dead spirits moved about, trampling over dead black grass and finding shade under one of the few trees that speckled the area. Stalactites were scattered around, the dead moving through them like they weren't even there.

We moved through the crowd of dead spirits, keeping an eye out for security ghouls and the Furies. The dead left us alone; they seemed to only be interested in milling about, silent as—well, the dead.

My heart ached for them. The dead weren't scary. They were sad.

We crept along, following the line of new arrivals that snaked from the main gates toward a black-tented pavilion with a banner that read: JUDGMENTS FOR ELYSIUM AND ETERNAL DAMNATION Welcome, Newly Deceased!

Out the back of the tent came two much smaller lines.

To the left, spirits flanked by security ghouls were marched down a rocky path toward the Fields of Punishment, which glowed and smoked in the distance, a vast, cracked wasteland with rivers of lava and minefields and miles of barbed wire separating the different torture areas. Even from far away, I could see people being chased by hellhounds, burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus patches or listen to opera music. I could just make out a tiny hill, with the ant-size figure of Sisyphus struggling to move his boulder to the top. And I saw worse tortures, too—things I don't want to describe.

The line coming from the right side of the judgment pavilion was much better. This one led down toward a small valley surrounded by walls—a gated community, which seemed to be the only happy part of the Underworld. Beyond the security gate were neighborhoods of beautiful houses from every time period in history, Roman villas and medieval castles and Victorian mansions. Silver and gold flowers bloomed on the lawns. The grass rippled in rainbow colors. I could hear laughter and smell barbecue cooking. Elysium.

In the middle of that valley was a glittering blue lake, with three small islands like a vacation resort in the Bahamas. The Isles of the Blest, for people who had chosen to be reborn three times, and three times achieved Elysium.

"That's what it's all about," Annabeth said. "That's the place for heroes."

I looked long at the islands, the scenery, all the happy people laughing and drinking and enjoying life. _A place for heroes,_ I thought. _But not for me._

I had never been interested in spending time partying and having fun with others. I preferred solitude. _Give me something to hunt and my wolves,_ I thought, thinking of running with Winter and the others. _That's the only afterlife I need._

We left the judgment pavilion and moved deeper into the Asphodel Fields. It got darker. The colors faded from our clothes. The crowds of chattering spirits began to thin.

After a few miles of walking, we began to hear a familiar screech in the distance. Looming on the horizon was a palace of glittering black obsidian. Above the parapets swirled three dark batlike creatures: the Furies. I got the feeling they were waiting for us.

"No turning back now," I said, even though we'd given up going back the second we entered the Underworld.

"We'll be fine," Percy said.

"Oh, yeah, because your last plan worked out _so well_."

"Shut up, wolf boy."

I took a step, and then my shoes came to life. They started dragging me backward. I landed with a thud on my back.

"Stop that," Annabeth said. "Hunter, get over here."

"But I didn't—"

The shoes came to life again, pulling me farther away. "Maia!" I called. "Maia! Maia!" But the word had no effect. Percy and Annabeth were running after me now, calling instructions.

"Untie the shoes!" someone yelled.

I tried, but it wasn't easy when you're being dragged feet-first across a grassy plane. Suddenly I veered right, down a steep slope that was getting steeper. The grass was gone; gravel skidded under me, scraping my arms and knees.

The tunnel got darker and colder. The hairs on my arms bristled. It smelled evil down here. It made me think of things I shouldn't even know about—blood spilled on an ancient stone altar, the foul breath of a murderer.

When I looked past my legs to see where I was going, my stomach dropped. The tunnel widened into a huge dark cavern, and in the middle was a chasm the size of a city block. I was sliding straight toward the edge.

 _Tartarus._

 _No,_ I told myself. _I am_ not _going in there._

I screamed and plunged a hand into the gravel. I was bleeding, I could feel it, but I had slowed down. With my other hand I reached up and grabbed the knife attached to the sheath at my ankle. I pulled it out and began to cut at the laces. After a few quick strokes I cut the first shoe off, which flew down into the chasm. Now going half as fast, I quickly managed to cut the other shoe off. It spun once or twice, then sped off into the chasm.

I climbed to my feet, shoeless. I gasped when I lifted my hands up—most of my fingernails were gone, scrapped off, and the skin had been shredded from most of my fingers. I let out a shaky breath, tears running down my cheeks. "Ow…"

"Hunter!"

Percy and Annabeth were on my almost immediately, pulling me away from the chasm. When we were a good distance away, we all collapsed, breathless. I was shaking, my breath smelling of sulfur and vomit.

"Your hands," Annabeth murmured. "Hold on, I've got something." She rummaged through her backpack for a few minutes, then pulled out a roll of gauze. She slowly wrapped the bandages around my torn-up hands, careful not to disturb the ends. I let out a sob and a moan when she accidentally brushed against one of my missing nails, which she apologized for.

"We have to go," Percy said, voice hollow.

Nobody argued. We fled, running like the wind, like something would catch us. When we reached the entrance to the tunnel, only then did we slow down. I kept thinking about almost being dragged into Tartarus itself, but I shook my head. We had bigger things to worry about.

We had to get to Hades.

-o-

The Furies circled the parapets, high in the gloom. The outer walls of the fortress glittered black, and the two-story-tall bronze gates stood wide open.

Up close, I saw that the engravings on the gates were scenes of death. Some were from modern times—an atomic bomb exploding over a city, a trench filled with gas mask-wearing soldiers, a line of African famine victims waiting with empty bowls—but all of them looked as if they'd been etched into the bronze thousands of years ago. I wondered if I was looking at prophecies that had come true.

Inside the courtyard was the strangest garden I'd ever seen. Multicolored mushrooms, poisonous shrubs, and weird luminous plants grew without sunlight. Precious jewels made up for the lack of flowers, piles of rubies as big as my fist, clumps of raw diamonds. Standing here and there like frozen party guests were Medusa's garden statues— petrified children, satyrs, and centaurs—all smiling grotesquely.

In the center of the garden was an orchard of pomegranate trees, their orange blooms neon bright in the dark. "The garden of Persephone," Annabeth said. "Keep walking."

I nodded. It was a good piece of advice—anyone who took from Persephone's garden would be forced to remain in the Underworld forever. We walked on.

We walked up the steps of the palace, between black columns, through a black marble portico, and into the house of Hades. The entry hall had a polished bronze floor, which seemed to boil in the reflected torchlight. There was no ceiling, just the cavern roof, far above.

Every side doorway was guarded by a skeleton in military gear. Some wore Greek armor, some British redcoat uniforms, some camouflage with tattered American flags on the shoulders. They carried spears or muskets or M-16s. None of them bothered us, but their hollow eye sockets followed us as we walked down the hall, toward the big set of doors at the opposite end.

Two U.S. Marine skeletons guarded the doors. They grinned down at us, rocket-propelled grenade launchers held across their chests.

"Well, guys," I said. "I suppose we should ... knock?"

A hot wind blew down the corridor, and the doors swung open. The guards stepped aside.

"I guess that means entrezvous," Annabeth said.

Hades sat upon a throne of black iron, dressed resplendently in a jet-black robe and a crown of gold. He was tall—maybe ten feet tall, if I had to guess—with strong arms and shoulder-length black hair. His eyes were black as charcoal, and his cheeks were thin and milk-white.

His aura washed over me, making me want to submit to his will. How could I refuse? He was a god, he was all-powerful, he was one of the Big Three, he—

 _Stop it,_ I told myself. _Don't listen to it._

"You are brave to come here, Son of Poseidon," he said in an oily voice. "After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you are simply very foolish."

 _Done to him?_ I thought. _What has Percy done to Hades?_

"Lord and Uncle," Percy said, stepping forward, "I come with two requests."

Hades leaned forward in his throne, black fire dancing in the pupils of his eyes. "Only two requests?" Hades said. "Arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet."

Percy swallowed, forehead beaded with sweat.

Annabeth stepped forward, prodding Percy with a finger. "Lord Hades," he said. "Look, sir, there can't be a war among the gods. It would be...bad."

"Very bad," I said helpfully.

"Return Zeus's master bolt to me. Please, sir. Let me carry it to Olympus."

Hades' eyes grew dangerously bright. "You dare keep up this pretense, after what you have done?"

Percy glanced back at us. Annabeth and I exchanged a _what-is-he-talking-about_ glance.

"Um...Uncle," Percy said. "You keep saying 'after what you've done.' What exactly have I done?"

The throne room shook with a tremor so strong, they probably felt it upstairs in Los Angeles. Debris fell from the cavern ceiling. Doors burst open all along the walls, and skeletal warriors marched in, hundreds of them, from every time period and nation in Western civilization. They lined the perimeter of the room, blocking the exits.

Hades bellowed, "Do you think I want war, godling?"

"You are the Lord of the Dead," Percy said carefully. "A war would expand your kingdom, right?"

"A typical thing for my brothers to say! Do you think I need more subjects? Did you not see the sprawl of the Asphodel Fields?"

"Well..."

"Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century alone, how many subdivisions I've had to open? More security ghouls," he moaned. "Traffic problems at the judgment pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Percy Jackson. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!"

"Charon wants a pay raise," Percy said.

I winced. _Bad thing to say._

"Don't get me started on Charon!" Hades yelled. "He's been impossible ever since he discovered Italian suits! Problems everywhere, and I've got to handle all of them personally. The commute time alone from the palace to the gates is enough to drive me insane! And the dead just keep arriving. No, godling. I need no help getting subjects! I did not ask for this war."

"But you took Zeus's Master Bolt."

"Lies!" More rumbling. Hades rose from his throne, towering to the height of a football goalpost.

"Your father may fool Zeus, boy, but I am not so stupid. I see his plan."

"His plan?"

"You were the thief on the winter solstice," he said. "Your father thought to keep you his little secret. He directed you into the throne room on Olympus, you took the Master Bolt and my helm. Had I not sent my Fury to discover you at Yancy Academy, Poseidon might have succeeded in hiding his scheme to start a war. But now you have been forced into the open. You will be exposed as Poseidon's thief, and I will have my helm back!"

"But ..." Annabeth spoke. I could tell her mind was going a million miles an hour. "Lord Hades, your Helm of Darkness is missing, too?"

"Do not play innocent with me, girl. You and the abomination have been helping this hero—coming here to threaten me in Poseidon's name, no doubt—to bring me an ultimatum. Does Poseidon think I can be blackmailed into supporting him?"

"No!" Percy said. "Poseidon didn't—I didn't—"

"I have said nothing of the helm's disappearance," Hades snarled, "because I had no illusions that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help. I can ill afford for word to get out that my most powerful weapon of fear is missing. So I searched for you myself, and when it was clear you were coming to me to deliver your threat, I did not try to stop you."

"You didn't try to stop us? But—"

"Return my helm now, or I will stop death," Hades threatened. "That is my counterproposal. I will open the earth and have the dead pour back into the world. I will make your lands a nightmare. And you, Percy Jackson—your skeleton will lead my army out of Hades."

The skeletal soldiers all took one step forward, making their weapons ready.

My hands balled into fists. _Abomination, abomination, abomination,_ I thought. _Always calling me abomination. Echidna, Ares, now Hades—why? Why am I such a monster? What have I done to_ any _of them?_ _I'm sorry I was born, but that gives them no right to judge me guilty for Artemis's carelessness._ NO RIGHT!

"You're as bad as Zeus," Percy said. "You think I stole from you? That's why you sent the Furies after me?"

"Of course," Hades said.

"And the other monsters?"

Hades curled his lip. "I had nothing to do with them. I wanted no quick death for you—I wanted you brought before me alive so you might face every torture in the Fields of Punishment. Why do you think I let you enter my kingdom so easily?"

"Easily?"

"Return my property!"

"But I don't have your helm. I came for the Master Bolt."

"Which you already possess!" Hades shouted. "You came here with it, little fool, thinking you could you threaten me!"

"But I didn't!"

"Open your pack, then."

A shiver ran down my spine. _No way, there's no way…_

Percy unslung the backpack, reached inside, and pulled out a two-foot-long metal cylinder, humming with energy.

"Percy," Annabeth said. "How—"

"I—I don't know. I don't understand."

"You heroes are always the same," Hades said. "Your pride makes you foolish, thinking you could bring such a weapon before me. I did not ask for Zeus's Master Bolt, but since it is here, you will yield it to me. I am sure it will make an excellent bargaining tool. And now...my helm. Where is it?"

 _Oh, gods, this was all a mistake._ Someone had played Hades, Zeus and Poseidon for fools, and had used us to do it. _But who would…_ Ares.

Lord Hades, wait," Percy said. "This is all a mistake."

"A mistake?" Hades roared.

The skeletons aimed their weapons. From high above, there was a fluttering of leathery wings, and the three Furies swooped down to perch on the back of their master's throne. One grinned and flicked her whip.

"There is no mistake," Hades said. "I know why you have come—I know the real reason you brought the bolt. You came to bargain for her."

Hades loosed a ball of yellow fire that exploded at Percy's feet. A woman was there a moment later, locked in a golden shower. _Percy's mother._

"Yes," Hades said with satisfaction. "I took her. I knew, Percy Jackson, that you would come to bargain with me eventually. Return my helm, and perhaps I will let her go. She is not dead, you know. Not yet. But if you displease me, that will change." He shifted in his throne. Ah, the pearls. Yes, my brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Percy Jackson."

Percy reached into his pocket and pulled out three small pearls no larger than gold balls.

"Only three," Hades said. "What a shame. You do realize each only protects a single person. Try to take your mother, then, little godling. And which of your friends will you leave behind to spend eternity with me? Go on. Choose. Or give me the backpack and accept my terms."

Percy looked at Annabeth and me, face grim. "We were tricked," he said. "Set up."

"Yes, but why?" Annabeth asked. "And the voice in the pit—"

"I don't know yet. But I intend to ask."

"Decide, boy!" Hades yelled.

Sudden clarity came to me. There was only one option. "Percy," I said, "go. Use the third pearl on your mother and get out of here. I'll be fine."

"No!"

"You have to. You need to get the Bolt back to Zeus and find out who helped set you up." _Ares couldn't have worked alone; he's too stupid for that._ "Sacrifice one life to save a thousand." Hopefully I'd see Winter again after the end. I missed her.

"No." Annabeth drew her bronze knife. "You two go on. Get his mom out of here. I'll cover you. I plan to go down fighting."

"No, Annabeth. You have people who need you."

"Stop it, both of you!" Percy shouted. "I know what to do. Take these." He handed each of us a pearl. I had to hold it in my palm because of the bandages.

Annabeth said, "But, Percy..."

"I'm sorry," Percy told his mother. "I'll be back. I'll find a way."

The smug look on Hades' face faded. He said, "Godling...?"

"I'll find your helm, Uncle," he told him. "I'll return it. Remember about Charon's pay raise."

"Do not defy me—"

"And it wouldn't hurt to play with Cerberus once in a while. He likes red rubber balls."

"Percy Jackson, you will not—"

He shouted, "Now, guys!"

We smashed the pearls at our feet. For a scary moment, nothing happened.

Hades yelled, "Destroy them!"

The army of skeletons rushed forward, swords out, guns clicking to full automatic. The Furies lunged, their whips bursting into flame.

Just as the skeletons opened fire, the pearl fragments at my feet exploded with a burst of green light and a gust of fresh sea wind. I was encased in a milky white sphere, which was starting to float off the ground. Spears and bullets sparked harmlessly off the pearl bubbles as we floated up. Hades yelled with such rage, the entire fortress shook and I knew it was not going to be a peaceful night in L.A.

"Look up.'" I yelled. "We're going to crash!"

Sure enough, we were racing right toward the stalactites, which I figured would pop our bubbles and skewer us.

"How do you control these things?" Annabeth shouted.

"I don't think you do!" Percy shouted back.

We screamed as the bubbles slammed into the ceiling and ... Darkness.

Are we dead? No, I could still feel my heart beating. We were ascending through the floor of the earth, rising higher and higher toward the surface.

After a few minutes, we exploded on the surface, in the middle of the Santa Monica Bay, knocking a surfer off his board with an indignant, "Dude!"

Percy grabbed me and pulled me over to a life buoy before I could start sinking. He caught Annabeth and dragged her over too. A curious shark was circling us, a great white about eleven feet long.

Percy said, "Beat it."

The shark turned and raced away.

The surfer screamed something about bad mushrooms and paddled away from us as fast as he could. Somehow, I knew what time it was: early morning, June 21, the day of the summer solstice. In the distance, Los Angeles was on fire, plumes of smoke rising from neighborhoods all over the city.

There had been an earthquake, all right, and it was Hades' fault. He was probably sending an army of the dead after us right now. That didn't matter.

All that mattered was getting the Master Bolt back to Zeus before the world ended.

A Coast Guard boat picked us up, but they were too busy to keep us for long, or to wonder how three kids in street clothes had gotten out into the middle of the bay. There was a disas-ter to mop up. Their radios were jammed with distress calls.

They dropped us off at the Santa Monica Pier with towels around our shoulders and water bottles that said I'M A JUNIOR COAST GUARD! and sped off to save more people.

After reaching dry land, we stumbled down the beach, watching the city burn against a beautiful sunrise. I felt as if I'd just come back from the dead—which we had.

"I don't believe it," Annabeth said. "We went all that way—"

"It was a trick," Percy said. "A strategy worthy of Athena."

"Hey," she warned.

"You get it, don't you?"

She dropped her eyes, her anger fading. "Yeah. I get it."

"The prophecy was right," Percy said. "You shall go west and face the god who has turned.' But it wasn't Hades. Hades didn't want war among the Big Three. Someone else pulled off the theft. Someone stole Zeus's Master Bolt, and Hades' helm, and framed me because I'm Poseidon's kid. Poseidon will get blamed by both sides. By sundown today, there will be a three-way war. And I'll have caused it."

"I don't get it," Annabeth said. "Who would want a three-way war between the gods."

"I'll give you one hint," I said, pointing.

There, just down the beach, leaning against the side of his humming motorcycle, smiling wickedly in black leather and jeans, was Ares.

Dear old Damien's daddy.

* * *

* I decided to skip that chapter because I didn't really see a point to it other than to give Percy another monster to fight and a way for them to get some extra coin, and rereading it was super hard for me because of how "filler" it was, at least in my opinion.

** In the myths, Hermes was the only Olympian who was allowed to enter Hades' realm, partly to deliver messages, and partly to help deliver dead souls to the Underworld.

A/N: Approaching the end of ACT I, guys. (Yes I'm splitting this story into five ACT's instead of making five stories. As you can probably guess, each ACT will follow one book, though not with Percy. Hunter will have his own things to deal with in upcoming books, things that he'll have to deal with without Percy and Annabeth. The only ACT's that will follow the books are ACT's I, III, and V.) Remember, reviews keep this story alive.

Bye!


	14. Chapter 14

I-lander's Mask: I was expecting Agon to show up in this chapter but no huh? Since he's all about oaths and following through his job and responsibilities he could be like over Charon's shoulder forcing him to be responsible or playing with Cerberus. But no. No sign of him.

That's because Agon, Aita, Meraxes (future story), Hunter, and any and all OC's of mine exist in separate universes. They won't meet each other at all. (Unless you guys are interested in a crossover.

* * *

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Fourteen: Battles and Betrayals**

Hey, kid," Ares said, seeming genuinely pleased to see us. "You were supposed to die."

"You tricked me," Percy said. "You stole the helm and the Master Bolt."

Ares grinned. "Well, now, I didn't steal them personally. Gods taking each other's symbols of power—that's a big no-no. But you're not the only hero in the world who can run errands."

"Who did you use? Clarisse? She was there at the winter solstice."

The idea seemed to amuse him. "Doesn't matter. The point is, kid, you're impeding the war effort. See, you've got to die in the Underworld. Then Old Seaweed will be mad at Hades for killing you. Corpse Breath will have Zeus's Master Bolt, so Zeus'll be mad at him. And Hades is still looking for this ..."

From his pocket he took out a ski cap—the kind bank robbers wear—and placed it between the handlebars of his bike. Immediately, the cap transformed into an elaborate bronze war helmet.

"The Helm of Darkness," I gasped.

"Exactly," Ares said. "Now where was I? Oh yeah, Hades will be mad at both Zeus and Poseidon, because he doesn't know who took this. Pretty soon, we got a nice little three-way slugfest going."

"But they're your family!" Annabeth protested.

Ares shrugged. "Best kind of war. Always the bloodiest. Nothing like watching your relatives fight, I always say."

"You gave me the backpack in Denver," Percy said. "The Master Bolt was in there the whole time."

"Yes and no," Ares said. "It's probably too complicated for your little mortal brain to follow, but the backpack is the Master Bolt's sheath, just morphed a bit. The bolt is connected to it, sort of like that sword you got, kid. It always returns to your pocket, right? Anyway," Ares continued, "I tinkered with the magic a bit, so the bolt would only return to the sheath once you reached the Underworld. You get close to Hades... Bingo, you got mail. If you died along the way—no loss. I still had the weapon."

"But why not just keep the Master Bolt for yourself? Why send it to Hades?"

Ares got a twitch in his jaw. For a moment, it was almost as if he were listening to another voice, deep inside his head. "Why didn't I...yeah...with that kind of fire-power..."

We all exchanged a nervous look. If Ares didn't know, then why would he…?

Ares's face cleared. "I didn't want the trouble. Better to have you caught red-handed, holding the thing."

"You're lying," Percy said. "Sending the bolt to the Underworld wasn't your idea, was it?"

"Of course it was!" Smoke drifted up from his sun-glasses, as if they were about to catch fire.

"You didn't order the theft. Someone else sent a hero to steal the two items. Then, when Zeus sent you to hunt him down, you caught the thief. But you didn't turn him over to Zeus. Something convinced you to let him go. You kept the items until another hero could come along and complete the delivery. That thing in the pit is ordering you around."

"I am the god of war! I take orders from no one! I don't have dreams!"

Percy hesitated. "Who said anything about dreams?"

Ares looked agitated, but he tried to cover it with a smirk. "Let's get back to the problem at hand, kid. You're alive. I can't have you taking that bolt to Olympus. You just might get those hardheaded idiots to listen to you. So I've got to kill you. Nothing personal." He snapped his fingers. The sand exploded at his feet and out charged a wild boar, even larger and uglier than the one whose head hung above the door of cabin seven at Camp Half-Blood. The beast pawed the sand, glaring at us with beady eyes as it lowered its razor-sharp tusks and waited for the command to kill.

Percy stepped into the surf. "Fight me yourself, Ares."

He laughed, but there was an edge to his laughter...an uneasiness. "You've only got one talent, kid, running away. You ran from the Chimera. You ran from the Underworld. You don't have what it takes."

"Scared?"

"In your adolescent dreams." But his sunglasses were starting to melt from the heat of his eyes. "No direct involvement. Sorry, kid. You're not at my level."

Annabeth said, "Percy, run!"

The giant boar charged.

Percy sidestepped, sword in hand. As the boar charged past, he swung upward, cutting off one tusk. Just as the enraged animal hit the water, he raised a hand and yelled "Wave!" and the sea rose up and swallowed it. The beast let out a terrified squeal, then was quiet.

Percy turned. "Are you going to fight me now, or are you going to hide behind another pet?"

Ares was red. "Watch it, kid. I could turn you into a—"

"—cockroach, maybe? How about a tapeworm? That'd save you from having to deal with me yourself."

Flames danced along the top of his glasses. "Oh, man, you are really asking to be smashed into a grease spot."

"If I lose, turn me into anything you want. Take the bolt. If I win, the helm and the bolt are mine and you have to go away."

Ares sneered. He swung the baseball bat off his shoulder. "How would you like to get smashed: classic or modern?"

Percy showed him his sword.

"That's cool, dead boy," he said. "Classic it is." The baseball bat changed into a huge, two-handed sword. The hilt was a large silver skull with a ruby in its mouth.

"Percy," Annabeth said. "Don't do this. He's a god."

"He's a coward," he told her.

She swallowed. "Wear this, at least. For luck." She took off her necklace, with her five years' worth of camp beads and the ring from her father, and tied it around his neck.

"Reconciliation," she said. "Athena and Poseidon together."

His face was red, but he managed a "Thanks."

I unsheathed one of my daggers. "Here," I said, holding it out. "Just in case he gets a little too close for comfort."

He took it gratefully. "Thanks."

I winked. "Good luck."

"You all done saying goodbye?" Ares came toward us, his black leather duster trailing behind him, his sword glinting like fire in the sunrise. "I've been fighting for eternity, kid. My strength is unlimited and I cannot die. What have you got?"

Percy stood silent in the surf.

Ares cleaved at him, a blur of black and bronze, but Percy wasn't there. He slid back, catapulted over Ares, and slashed at his back. Ares spun, blocking Percy's cut with his own.

"Not bad, not bad," he said, grinning.

He attacked again, sword flashing. Percy sidestepped and tried to get back to the water, but Ares got in his way every time; almost like he knew what Percy was trying to do. Percy thrusted at Ares's chest, but the god knocked the blade out of his hands and sent him flying with a kick.

The son of Poseidon soared—ten, twenty, thirty feet—then crashed into a sand dune of pearly-white sand.

The sound of wailing sirens caught Annabeth's and my attention. "Percy!" Annabeth yelled. "Cops!"

At the edge of the beach, half a dozen cars screeched to a halt, their doors slamming as men and women in blue police uniforms emerged, weapons ready.

"There, officer!" somebody yelled. "See?"

A gruff cop voice: "Looks like that kid on TV...what the heck..."

"That guy's armed," another cop said. "Call for backup."

Percy rolled as Ares slashed downward. Percy's sword was in his hand, slashing at the god, who deflected each blow.

"Admit it, kid," Ares said. "You got no hope. I'm just toying with you."

He charged, cutting Percy's arm.

A police voice on a megaphone said, "Drop the guns. Set them on the ground. Now!"

 _What guns?_

I squinted. The swords shifted form, turning into a double-barrel shotgun and a hunting rifle.

The police raised their pistols.

"This is a private matter!" Ares bellowed. "Be gone." He swept his hand, and a wall of red flame rolled across the patrol cars. The police barely had time to dive for cover before their vehicles exploded. The crowd behind them scattered, screaming.

Ares roared with laughter. "Now, little hero. Let's add you to the barbecue."

They came together again, hacking and slashing as they waded deeper into the water. Ares was laughing, walking deeper.

Suddenly a six-foot wall of water smashed him full in the face, leaving him cursing and sputtering with a mouth full of seaweed. Percy landed behind him with a splash and feinted toward his head, as he'd done before. Ares turned in time to raise his sword, but this time he was disoriented, he didn't anticipate the trick. Percy changed direction, lunged to the side, and stabbed Riptide straight down into the water, sending the point through the god's heel.

The roar that followed made Hades' earthquake look like a minor event. The very sea was blasted back from Ares, leaving a wet circle of sand fifty feet wide.

Ichor, the golden blood of the gods, flowed from a gash in the war god's boot. The expression on his face was beyond hatred. It was pain, shock, complete disbelief that he'd been wounded.

He limped toward Percy, muttering ancient Greek curses.

Something stopped him.

It was as if a cloud covered the sun, but worse. Light faded. Sound and color drained away. A cold, heavy presence passed over the beach, slowing time, dropping the temperature to freezing, and making me feel like life was hopeless, fighting was useless.

The darkness lifted.

Ares looked stunned.

Police cars were burning behind us. The crowd of spectators had fled. Annabeth and I looked on in shock, watching the water flood back around Ares's feet, his glowing golden ichor dissipating in the tide.

Ares lowered his sword.

"You have made an enemy, godling," he told me. "You have sealed your fate. Every time you raise your blade in battle, every time you hope for success, you will feel my curse. Beware, Perseus Jackson. Beware."

His body began to glow.

"Percy!" Annabeth shouted. "Don't watch!"

We all looked away as the god assumed his true form.

The light died.

When we opened our eyes, Ares was gone. The tide rolled back, revealing the Helm of Darkness. Percy picked it up and began to walk toward us. We strode forward to meet him. When we were ten yards apart, the sound of leathery wings carried over the sands.

Three evil-looking grandmothers with lace hats and fiery whips drifted down from the sky and landed in front of Percy, their backs to us. We circled them slowly, but they weren't looking at us.

The middle one licked her lips. "We saw the whole thing," she hissed. "So ... it truly was not you?"

Percy tossed her the helmet, which she caught in surprise.

"Return that to Lord Hades," he said. "Tell him the truth. Tell him to call off the war."

She hesitated, then ran a forked tongue over her green, leathery lips. "Live well, Percy Jackson. Become a true hero. Because if you do not, if you ever come into my clutches again..." She cackled, savoring the idea. Then she and her sisters rose on their bats' wings, fluttered into the smoke-filled sky, and disappeared.

"Holy Hades, Percy," I said, "that was so…"

"…terrifying," Annabeth finished.

"Awesome!" I corrected. "Dude, you just beat the _god of war_. I'm pretty sure there's a video game about that. You could get some royalties for what you just did, I'm sure."

Percy was quiet for a minute, then: "Did you guys feel that... whatever it was?" I asked.

We both nodded uneasily.

"Must've been the Furies overhead," I said.

Percy and Annabeth exchanged an uneasy glance. Percy took back his backpack and looked inside—the bolt was still there.

"We have to get back to New York," he said. "By tonight."

"That's impossible," Annabeth said, "unless we—"

"—fly," he agreed.

She stared at him. "Fly, like, in an airplane, which you were warned never to do lest Zeus strike you out of the sky, and carrying a weapon that has more destructive power than a nuclear bomb?"

"Yeah," I said. "Pretty much exactly like that. Come on."

-o-

It's funny how humans can wrap their mind around things and fit them into their version of reality. According to the L.A. news, the explosion at the Santa Monica beach had been caused when a crazy kidnapper fired a shotgun at a police car. He accidentally hit a gas main that had ruptured during the earthquake.

This crazy kidnapper (a.k.a. Ares) was the same man who had abducted me and two other adolescents in New York and brought us across country on a ten-day odyssey of terror. Poor little Percy Jackson wasn't an international criminal after all. He'd caused a commotion on that Greyhound bus in New Jersey trying to get away from his captor (and afterward, witnesses would even swear they had seen the leather-clad man on the bus—"Why didn't I remember him before?"). The crazy man had caused the explosion in the St. Louis Arch. After all, no kid could've done that. A concerned waitress in Denver had seen the man threatening his abductees outside her diner, gotten a friend to take a photo, and notified the police. Finally, brave Percy Jackson (I was beginning to like this kid) had stolen a gun from his captor in Los Angeles and battled him shotgun-to-rifle on the beach. Police had arrived just in time. But in the spectacular explosion, five police cars had been destroyed and the captor had fled.

No fatalities had occurred. Percy Jackson and his two friends were safely in police custody. The reporters fed us this whole story. We just nodded and acted tearful and exhausted (which wasn't hard) and played victimized kids for the cameras.

"All I want," Percy said, choking back his tears, "is to see my loving stepfather again. Every time I saw him on TV, calling me a delinquent punk, I knew ... somehow ... we would be okay. And I know he'll want to reward each and every person in this beautiful city of Los Angeles with a free major appliance from his store. Here's the phone number." The police and reporters were so moved that they passed around the hat and raised money for three tickets on the next plane to New York.

After what seemed like days (probably like days for Percy, who gripped the armrests so tight his knuckles were white), we landed at La Guardia. The local press was waiting for us outside security, but we managed to evade them thanks to Annabeth, who lured them away in her invisible Yankees cap, shouting, "They're over by the frozen yogurt! Come on!" then rejoined us at baggage claim.

We were forced to split up at that point. While Annabeth and I were to take a taxi back to camp, Percy would be getting on another taxi bound for the Empire State Building to return the bolt. We promised to see each other again soon, but a nagging part of my brain wasn't so sure.

A few hours later, we pulled up to Half-Blood Hill, and we joined an hour and a half later by Percy. We were the first heroes to return alive to Half-Blood Hill since Luke, so of course everybody treated us as if we'd won some reality-TV contest. According to camp tradition, we wore laurel wreaths to a big feast prepared in our honor, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where we got to burn the burial shrouds our cabins had made for us in our absence.

Annabeth's shroud was so beautiful—gray silk with embroidered owls. Percy's was made by the Ares cabin—they'd taken an old bedsheet and painted smiley faces with X'ed-out eyes around the border, and the word LOSER painted really big in the middle. Mine was made by the Hermes cabin—a black silk banner with a howling wolf's head embroidered on the front.

Damien and his crew kept their distance, which I was thankful for. I'd had enough of Ares for one lifetime.

After the feast and the campfire and everything, I caught up with Lee and Will. When I offered them back their stuff, they just shook their heads.

"Keep them," Lee said. "You've more than earned them."

"Guys, I can't just—"

"Yes, you can," said Will Solace. "And you will. Take it as a…token of thanks for saving the world."

I smiled. "Thanks, guys."

Lee put an arm around my shoulders. "Don't mention it, buddy. Now, I'd hurry home and get some sleep, 'cause you've got archery with us tomorrow, and if I suspect you're holding out on us, I'll make you sing in rhymes for a week."

-o-

I'd be staying year-round; there was no doubt about that. I turned my letter into the Big House and was on my way to the archery range when Anna called out, "Hey, Hunter!"

I turned. "What's up?"

"Not much, hero." She bumped my arm. "Where you heading?"

"Archer range."

"How about the sword fighting arena?"

I thought about it for a minute. "I don't see why not."

Luke and Percy were leaving when we got there. "Hunter!" Luke exclaimed, smiling. "How you doing?"

I shrugged. "Pretty good. You?"

"I'm doing fine. Hey, listen, Percy and I were about to go find some monsters to fight in the woods. You two want to come?"

"Um, I'm not sure that's—"

"Come on, Hunter," Anna said. "You're not scared, are you?"

I scoffed. "Of course not!"

"Then let's go."

"Fine, then."

We walked down to the woods and kicked around for some kind of monster to fight, but it was too hot. All the monsters with any sense must've been taking siestas in their nice cool caves. We found a shady spot by the creek where Percy broken Clarisse's spear during his first capture the flag game. We sat on a big rock, Luke passed out Cokes, and watched the sunlight in the woods.

After a while Luke said, "You miss being on a quest?"

"With monsters attacking me every three feet? Are you kidding?" Percy said.

Luke raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I miss it," he admitted. "You?"

A shadow passed over his face.

I was used to hearing from the girls how good-looking Luke was, but at the moment, he looked weary, and angry, and not at all handsome. His blond hair was gray in the sunlight. The scar on his face looked deeper than usual. I could imagine him as an old man.

"I've lived at Half-Blood Hill year-round since I was fourteen," he told me. "Ever since Thalia ... well, you know. I trained, and trained, and trained. I never got to be a nor-mal teenager, out there in the real world. Then they threw me one quest, and when I came back, it was like, 'Okay, ride's over. Have a nice life.'"

He crumpled his Coke can and threw into the creek, which really shocked me. One of the first things you learn at Camp Half-Blood is: Don't litter. You'll hear from the nymphs and the naiads. They'll get even. You'll crawl into bed one night and find your sheets filled with centipedes and mud.

"The heck with laurel wreaths," Luke said. "I'm not going to end up like those dusty trophies in the Big House attic."

"You make it sound like you're leaving."

Luke gave us a twisted smile. "Oh, I'm leaving, all right, Percy. I brought you down here to say

good-bye."

He snapped his fingers. A small fire burned a hole in the ground at Percy's feet. Out crawled something glistening black, about the size of my hand. A scorpion.

I jumped to my feet, Anna a heartbeat slower. I reached for my knife, then felt something cut into the back of my leg, right below the knee. I fell with a scream.

Anna put her foot on my chest, holding me down. "I'd stay down, if I were you." Her sword was red.

"What—"

Percy reached for his pocket.

"I wouldn't," Luke cautioned. "Pit scorpions can jump up to fifteen feet. Its stinger can pierce right through your clothes. You'll be dead in sixty seconds."

"Luke, what—" A cloud seemed to pass behind his eyes. "You," he said. "You're the traitor."

He stood calmly and brushed off his jeans. "I saw a lot out there in the world, Percy," Luke said. "Didn't you feel it—the darkness gathering, the monsters growing stronger? Didn't you realize how useless it all is? All the heroics—being pawns of the gods. They should've been overthrown thousands of years ago, but they've hung on, thanks to us half-bloods."

"Luke...you're talking about our parents," Percy said.

He laughed. "That's supposed to make me love them? Their precious 'Western civilization' is a disease, Percy. It's killing the world. The only way to stop it is to burn it to the ground, start over with something more honest."

"You're as crazy as Ares."

His eyes flared. "Ares is a fool. He never realized the true master he was serving. If I had time, Percy, I could explain. But I'm afraid you won't live that long." He turned to me. "Hunter understands, I'm sure. What has Artemis ever done for you, Hunter?"

My heart stopped. "What do you—"

"Don't be stupid," Anna said. "We knew who you were the second you showed up here."

"I met Artemis once," Luke said. "You have her eyes, not to mention her bow. Can't imagine she'd let many men have a weapon like that unless they shared some connection to her."

I turned to Anna. "Why?"

She scoffed. " _Why?_ Because I'm tired of the gods ruling over us."

"But Aphrodite—"

"What about her? She hasn't done a thing for me. My father was an asshole, Hunter. He never wanted _me,_ he wanted _her._ When he couldn't have her, he got mad, and when he got mad, he hurt me. He drank himself to death when I was six. From there I bounced from foster home to foster home until I was eleven, when a satyr found me. Monsters hunted me every day, Hunter, so I never got to have a childhood. Do you know how long I stayed with my foster 'families'?" She continued before I could answer. "The longest was six months. Fuck Aphrodite. Fuck the gods. Fuck the West."

"But, your brothers and sisters."

She scoffed. "What about them? All they care about is how straight their hair is and if they've got hangnails. So many stereotypes about Aphrodite's brood. Don't act like they don't exist, Hunter; you were surprised the first time we met that I could fight, don't you remember?" The worst part, I _did_ remember. "I've had to work twice as hard as anyone else to be treated fairly. I'm sick of it. If Kronos wants to tear the gods down, then I'm with him. You could join us, Hunter. The Titan Lord could use your power. You were _made_ to destroy Artemis."

"What—What do…" I understood now. Anna was beyond help. "No. This path you're walking…I can't be a part of it."

She looked sad. "A shame."

"Kronos," Percy said. "That's who you serve."

The air got colder.

"You should be careful with names," Luke warned.

"Kronos got you to steal the Master Bolt and the helm. He spoke to you in your dreams."

Luke's eye twitched. "He spoke to you, too, Percy. You should've listened."

"He's brainwashing you, Luke."

"You're wrong. He showed me that my talents are being wasted. You know what my quest was two years ago, Percy? My father, Hermes, wanted me to steal a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides and return it to Olympus. After all the training I'd done, that was the best he could think up."

"That's not an easy quest," I said. "Hercules did it."

"Exactly," Luke said. "Where's the glory in repeating what others have done? All the gods know how to do is replay their past. My heart wasn't in it. The dragon in the garden gave me this"—he pointed angrily at his scar—"and when I came back, all I got was pity. I wanted to pull Olympus down stone by stone right then, but I bided my time. I began to dream of Kronos. He convinced me to steal something worthwhile, something no hero had ever had the courage to take. When we went on that winter solstice field trip, while the other campers were asleep, I snuck into the throne room and took Zeus's Master Bolt right from his chair. Hades' Helm of Darkness, too. You wouldn't believe how easy it was. The Olympians are so arrogant; they never dreamed someone would dare steal from them. Their security is horrible. I was halfway across New Jersey before I heard the storms rumbling, and I knew they'd discovered my theft."

"So why didn't you bring the items to Kronos?"

Luke's smile wavered. "I ... I got overconfident. Zeus sent out his sons and daughters to find the stolen bolt— Artemis, Apollo, my father, Hermes. But it was Ares who caught me. I could have beaten him, but I wasn't careful enough. He disarmed me, took the items of power, threatened to return them to Olympus and burn me alive. Then Kronos's voice came to me and told me what to say. I put the idea in Ares's head about a great war between the gods. I said all he had to do was hide the items away for a while and watch the others fight. Ares got a wicked gleam in his eyes. I knew he was hooked. He let me go, and I returned to Olympus before anyone noticed my absence." Luke drew his new sword. He ran his thumb down the flat of the blade, as if he were hypnotized by its beauty. "Afterward, the Lord of the Titans ... h-he punished me with nightmares. I swore not to fail again. Back at Camp Half-Blood, in my dreams, I was told that a second hero would arrive, one who could be tricked into taking the bolt and the helm the rest of the way—from Ares down to Tartarus."

"You summoned the hellhound, that night in the forest."

"We had to make Chiron think the camp wasn't safe for you, so he would start you on your quest. We had to confirm his fears that Hades was after you. And it worked."

"The flying shoes were cursed," Percy said. "They were supposed to drag me and the backpack into Tartarus."

"And they would have, if you'd been wearing them." He shot me a glare. "You confused the curse, Hunter. It should've been Percy." Luke looked down at the scorpion, which was now sit-ting on Percy's thigh. "You should have died in Tartarus, Percy. But don't worry, I'll leave you with my little friend to set things right."

"Thalia gave her life to save you," Percy said, gritting my teeth. "And this is how you repay her?"

"Don't speak of Thalia!" he shouted. "The gods let her die! That's one of the many things they will pay for."

"You're being used, Luke. You and Ares both. Don't listen to Kronos."

"I've been used?" Luke's voice turned shrill. "Look at yourself. What has your dad ever done for you? Kronos will rise. You've only delayed his plans. He will cast the Olympians into Tartarus and drive humanity back to their caves. All except the strongest—the ones who serve him."

"Call off the bug. If you're so strong, fight me yourself."

Luke smiled. "Nice try, Percy. But I'm not Ares. You can't bait me. My lord is waiting, and he's got plenty of quests for me to undertake."

"Luke—"

"Goodbye, Percy. There is a new Golden Age coming. You won't be part of it." He held out a hand. "Come, Anna."

As she passed, I grabbed her ankle. "Anna, wait." She turned. I looked her in the eye, face calm. "If we ever meet again, I'll kill you. Make no mistake about that."

She cracked a smile. "I look forward to our fight, then." She took Luke's hand. He slashed his sword in an arc and disappeared in a ripple of darkness, taking my first friend with him.

I had lost a lot of blood, now, and my vision was blurry at best. I saw Percy leap to his feet, cutting the scorpion in half. He stumbled toward me. "Hold on, buddy. Hold on."

My vision went black.

-o-

The only dreams I had were of a pack of wolves running down a hill, and Niobe standing in the middle of a great cavern, four columns arranged in a circle, torches attached to them.

"You aren't dying on us yet," she said. "We still have use for you."

Behind her, the shadows shifted, and I saw two yellow eyes that glowed in the dark like miniature headlamps.

I woke with a start.

Percy was unconscious in the bed next to me, Annabeth washing his face with a towel. We were in the infirmary. When she saw me, she smiled wide and put down her towel. "Thank the gods," she mumbled.

Just then Percy shifted and opened his eyes.

"Here we are again," he said.

"You idiot," Annabeth said, which is how I knew she was overjoyed to see him conscious. "You were green and turning gray when we found you. If it weren't for Chiron's healing ..."

"Now, now," Chiron's voice said. "Percy's constitution deserves some of the credit." He was sitting near the foot of my bed in human form, which was why I hadn't noticed him yet. His lower half was magically compacted into the wheelchair, his upper half dressed in a coat and tie. He smiled, but his face looked weary and pale, the way it did when he'd been up all night grading Latin papers.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved."

"Apt, considering that was pit scorpion venom. And you, Hunter?"

I looked down at my bandaged knee. "Stiff."

Chiron nodded. "You will be back to normal within the hour. Now you must tell me, if you can, exactly what happened."

Slowly, Percy and I explained everything.

The room was quiet for a long time.

"I can't believe that Luke ..." Annabeth's voice faltered. Her expression turned angry and sad. "Yes. Yes, I _can_ believe it. May the gods curse him...He was never the same after his quest."

"And Anna has always been irritated by the connotations her mother had on her reputation. This must be reported to Olympus," Chiron murmured. "I will go at once."

"Luke is out there right now," Percy said. "I have to go after him."

Chiron shook his head. "No, Percy. The gods—"

"—won't even talk about Kronos," he snapped. "Zeus declared the matter closed!"

"Percy, I know this is hard. But you must not rush out for vengeance. You aren't ready."

Percy sat back, defeated. "Chiron...your prophecy from the Oracle ...it was about Kronos, wasn't it? Was I in it? And Annabeth? Hunter?"

Chiron glanced nervously at the ceiling. "Percy, it isn't my place—"

"You've been ordered not to talk to me about it, haven't you?"

His eyes were sympathetic, but sad. "You will be a great hero, child. I will do my best to prepare you. But if I'm right about the path ahead of you ..."

Thunder boomed overhead, rattling the windows.

"All right!" Chiron shouted. "Fine!"

He sighed in frustration. "The gods have their reasons, Percy. Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing."

"We can't just sit back and do nothing," he said.

"We will not sit back," Chiron promised. "But you must be careful. Kronos wants you to come unraveled. He wants your life disrupted, your thoughts clouded with fear and anger. Do not give him what he wants. Train patiently. Your time will come."

"Assuming I live that long."

Chiron put his hand on his ankle. "You'll have to trust me, Percy. You will live. But first you must decide your path for the coming year. I cannot tell you the right choice..." I got the feeling that he had a very definite opinion, and it was taking all his willpower not to advise me. "But you must decide whether to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round or return to the mortal world for seventh grade and be a summer camper. Think on that. When I get back from Olympus, you must tell me your decision."

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Chiron promised. "Argus will watch over you."

He glanced at Annabeth. "Oh, and, my dear ... when-ever you're ready, they're here."

"Who's here?" Percy asked.

Nobody answered.

Chiron rolled himself out of the room. I heard the wheels of his chair clunk carefully down the front steps, two at a time.

Annabeth studied the ice in Percy's drink.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"Nothing." She set the glass on the table. "I … just took your advice about something."

There was quiet for a long time, then: "Hunter?"

"Yes, Percy?"

"Why did…what did Luke mean, 'What has Artemis ever done for you?'"

I swallowed. I was going to refuse, to ignore the question, but then I looked at them. They were my friends; if I couldn't trust _them_ , then…"

"I'm not like you guys," I said, brining my knees up to my chest. "I wasn't…born on purpose."

"What do you—"

"I mean my parent didn't mean to have me."

They exchanged a puzzled look. "What do you mean?" Percy said.

Annabeth, silent, walked over and sat at the edge of my bed. "Artemis is your mother, isn't she?"

I nodded.

"Oh, gods."

"What?" Percy asked. "I don't get it."

"Artemis swore to never have children," I said. "Like, ever. Swore on the Styx and everything."

"Then how are you—"

"Because a witch named Niobe plans to use me against Artemis," I said. "I don't know how, and I don't know when, but that's her plan." I told them about everything: my birth, living with Apollo, the attack on my home, everything.

When it was all done, they were silent.

"Wow," Percy said. "That's…wow."

I nodded. "Nobody else knows besides Chiron, though; so you can't tell anybody."

"We promise," Annabeth said.

"Yeah," Percy agreed. "We've got your back."

I smiled. "Thanks, guys." I shrugged out of bed. "Can we get out of here? It smells like medicine in here."

Annabeth laughed. "Yeah. Let's go, Seaweed Brain."

We carried him out of bed and down to the porch, Argus trailing behind us.

It was dusk. The camp looked completely deserted. The cabins were dark and the volleyball pit silent. No canoes cut the surface of the lake. Beyond the woods and the strawberry fields, the Long Island Sound glittered in the last light of the sun.

"What are you going to do?" Annabeth asked Percy.

"I don't know."

Percy told us about Chiron wanting him to be a year-round camper, but he didn't agree. He wanted to stay home and spend time with his mom. He was sorry about leaving Annabeth alone with Clarisse, however.

Annabeth pursed her lips, then said quietly, "I'm going home for the year, Percy."

He stared at her. "You mean, to your dad's?"

She pointed toward the crest of Half-Blood Hill. Next to Thalia's pine tree, at the very edge of the camp's magical boundaries, a family stood silhouetted—two little children, a woman, and a tall man with blond hair. They seemed to be waiting. The man was holding a backpack that looked like the one Annabeth had gotten from Waterland in Denver.

"I wrote him a letter when we got back," Annabeth said. "Just like you suggested. I told him...I was sorry. I'd come home for the school year if he still wanted me. He wrote back immediately. We decided...we'd give it another try."

"That took guts."

She pursed her lips. "You won't try anything stupid during the school year, will you? At least…not without sending me an Iris-message?"

"Sending _us_ an Iris-message," I corrected.

He managed a smile. "I won't go looking for trouble. I usually don't have to."

"When I get back next summer," she said, "we'll hunt down Luke. We'll ask for a quest, but if we don't get approval, we'll sneak off and do it anyway. Agreed?"

"Sounds like a plan worthy of Athena."

She held out her hand. He shook it.

"Take care, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth told him. "Keep your eyes open."

"You too, Wise Girl."

She gave a quick hug. "See you 'round, wolf boy."

"Not if I see you first," I said, smiling.

I watched her walk up the hill and join her family. She gave her father an awkward hug and looked back at the valley one last time. She touched Thalia's pine tree, then allowed herself to be lead over the crest and into the mortal world.

Percy was quiet for a minute. "What are you gonna do?" he asked.

I thought. "Stay here. Train. Get better."

He nodded. "We all need to get better."

"Then don't fall behind, Barnacle Boy. I'm down a sparring partner, and I don't plan on going easy on you."

He laughed. "You take care of yourself, Hunter."

"You too, Percy."

He headed down to Cabin Three, Argus trailing behind him.

I looked down at the mark on my arm—two circles cut by three straight lines. Taking a deep breath, I began to walk toward the arena.

I had a lot of training to do.

* * *

A/N: What did you guys think? ACT I is over and four more still remain. Leave a review telling me what you thought, not only of this chapter, but the story as a whole so far. I'll be going on a hiatus for a little while, but I should be back by the middle of July.

Bye!


	15. Chapter 15

Kamijou killer: I think it would be great if Hunter were to help the Kane brothers in the red pyramid, the throne of fire, and the shadow of the serpent. With that, you could make Sadie Kane fall in love with him, how do you see him? Could also leave von Calypso.

Yeah, that won't happen. Hunter is strictly a Percy Jackson character, and I can't really see the Greek and Egyptian gods interacting with each other unless absolutely necessary. Sorry, buddy.

WeylandCorp: The whole "stolen essence" thing was used in the broken now series, did you get inspiration from that?

Yes.

* * *

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Fifteen: We Send for Help**

The mark was still there, though I kept it hidden most of the time. When the weather got cold it was easy enough to keep it hidden under a long-sleeved shirt that I wore under my orange Camp Half-Blood shirt, but other times it was not as easy. Usually when I slept I did it shirtless, so keeping the mark hidden was more difficult. The hardest was during the summer when it was hot. I had managed to come up with a story about cutting myself during training and had to keep my arm in a wrap of gauze, though Will kept insisting that I let him look at it. I refused each time.

Now, you may be thinking, "Why not just wear it out in the open? Is it really that big of a deal?"

Well, mi amigos, apparently the mark means something dangerous. I learned that the hard way. Grover had been visiting for a week in the middle of winter, a short break from his search for Pan to restock on supplies and investigate any leads other searchers might have found.

When I raised my hand to greet him, his eyes got real wide and he got really pale.

"Grover," I said, "what's wrong?"

His eyes moved rapidly, going from my arm to my face, to my arm to my face, and back. "I-I-I—you-you're—No way…"

"Grover"—I took a step toward him—"tell me what's—"

"Stay back!" he said, holding his hands up and backing away. "Don't come any closer."

"What has gotten into you? You're acting like a maniac."

"I'm sorry," he said, raising his hand into the three-finger-ward sign—the sign for defending against evil, "but you need to go."

He avoided me for the rest of his stay there. Apparently he had also told all the other nature spirits about it too, because they avoided me like the plague. If I even turned to look at one of them they screamed and ran for the hills. At meals the nymphs serving us spilled my food half the time because their hands were shaking so bad they were almost blurs. The Ares cabin thought it was some great joke, but I wasn't amused.

After that, I decided to keep the mark well hidden.

Despite it all, I missed Grover. Annabeth did too, I could tell. We'd lost contact with him a few days ago, and after everything that had happened, it wasn't looking very good for Camp Half-Blood.

So much had happened recently that it almost seemed like the beginning of some horror film. Two dozen campers had disappeared, along with all their belongings. Chiron sent out search parties, but nobody was able to find them. Despite his intervention, everyone whispered that people were leaving to join Luke…

…and Anna.

The Aphrodite cabin had been brought low by her leaving. Nobody said it, but everyone blamed them for it. Anna hadn't exactly been loved by everyone, but she was kind and sweet, so her leaving had been a big blow to camp's morale.

The same had occurred for the Hermes cabin. Connor and Travis now led us, but it was clear they didn't want to be in control. Luke had been the camp golden boy, and his leaving made everyone else on edge. If he could leave, who else could?

Drew had been quick to condemn the two. "They're traitors," she would tell everyone. "They don't deserve to be remembered."

 _Anna didn't betray anyone,_ I wanted to say. _It was Luke, Luke betrayed us and corrupted Anna. It's his fault, not hers._ But then I remembered the cut she'd given me last year, and I stopped that thinking, though it came back every time Drew opened her mouth.

Annabeth thought the inverse. She claimed that Luke had been swayed by Anna, and that he would never have left otherwise. It had led to more than one fight between us; but, now we were all each other had.

Speaking of Annabeth, she had returned a few months after she left.

"It didn't work out," she explained. "Monsters attacked, we fought, same old, same old. Eventually I just gave up and came back."

Chiron had been more than happy to welcome her back.

Oh. And then there's Chiron.

He was gone. Crazy, I know. Well, he wasn't _gone,_ not yet, but soon. There had been an…incident…earlier this year that Zeus thinks Chiron caused. And now, he's been kicked out of camp, fired from the only job he's had in thousands of years. And to replace him Zeus is brining in Tantalus, a guy who once fed his children to the Olympians, to watch over a bunch of children related to said Olympians.

Move over, Athena, there's a new god of wisdom in town.

Most of camp had been furious with this, but nobody could argue with Lord Zeus, so there's no stopping it now.

What was the incident that caused this, you might ask? Well, dear readers, I'll tell you.

Somebody poisoned Thalia's tree.

Yep, the magical protective border around camp is growing weaker, and soon—according to Chiron and Mr. D—it will fail completely, and we'll be completely overrun with monsters. For some reason Zeus thinks that Chiron is at fault for this, so he's been terminated.

Needless to say, it's been a rough time at camp recently.

Sighing, I shook my head and swallowed another bite of pizza. Everyone else was calmer as well; the Hermes cabin was actually _easting,_ not yelling and shouting.

The Ares cabin was missing one member. Damien, little shit that he was, was one of the missing campers. I couldn't really say why he'd leave, though I suspected the reason rhythmed with "banana." I wasn't exactly sad to see him go. He was a bully and a coward and someone who deserved to die alone in the woods, cold and terrified.

After Anna left he'd cornered me, demanding why she'd left. I told him to shove off. He didn't like that.

By the time Beckendorf pulled him off me I had sustained a black eye and a bloody nose. He was lucky I didn't have my knives at the time. Chiron sentenced him to dishwasher duty for a week. That was the night he'd left.

After lunch Annabeth pulled me aside. "I don't like this, Hunter. Something needs to be done."

"I agree." I crossed my arms. "But what do you plan on doing? Chiron has virtually no power anymore, and short of storming Olympus and knocking some sense into Zeus, I don't really know if you _can_ do anything."

She stomped her foot on the ground. "I hate this!"

"I know you do, Beth, but there isn't much you can do."

She paused. "Not me…Percy."

"Percy?" I asked, confused. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I don't really see any other choice, do you?"

I shook my head, helpless. "Mr. D won't like this."

"Forget Mr. D; we can save camp, Hunter. You and me and Percy, like last year."

"We almost died last year. Like, several times."

She waved a hand. "Occupational hazard. Are you in or out."

I didn't even have to think about it. "I'm in."

-o-

Later that day, I helped Annabeth pack a small bag: a change of clothes, her invisibility cap, and her dagger, and a small bag of drachmas. The next morning, she was ready to go.

"Good luck," I said, handing her her dagger.

"Thanks. I'll get Percy and get back here as soon as I can."

"Hurry, the Ares cabin has patrol duty later, and you know how Clarisse gets."

She nodded. "Don't worry, I'll get back before anything terrible happens."

The last I saw of Annabeth Chase, she had tossed a coin into the ground and a gray taxi appeared out of nowhere. She gave one last wave before climbing in and disappearing in a flash of gray light.

 _Good luck,_ I thought as I climbed down the hill, _we're going to need it._

* * *

A/N: Hoo boy, did I miss this story. How about you guys? Please be sure to leave plenty of reviews telling me what you think so far. Sorry it was so short; I promise the next ones will be longer.

Also, who should Hunter be with romantically? I've gotten a few requests here and there and I want to leave Hunter's options out in the open quickly so I have time to write in a convincing love arc. I'll leave it open to you guys. Anyone is a candidate (Hunter's bi, by the way), so don't be afraid to suggest same-sex relationships, though don't expect it to happen immediately. Also, please no PercyxHunter, because I see Percabeth as one of the most important aspects of the books, but anybody else is up for grabs.


	16. Chapter 16

**The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Sixteen: Friends and Enemies**

All this waiting was killing me. Annabeth still wasn't back with Percy, though I kept telling myself that I'd see them again by the end of the day.

Still…

Everyone was prepping for the end. Campers had begun to stockpile weapons; nymphs paced anxiously with bows and arrows at the ready, just in case anyone tried anything; and the patrols had been increased, so people were watching the borders at all times.

Still, it wasn't enough. Monster attacks were getting more frequent. Luckily there were plans in place in case anything nasty got by the patrols, though that didn't stop me from worrying.

What did I do about this? What I always did: train. Ever since the end of summer last year, I'd spent almost all my available time either on the archery range, or in the sword-fighting arena. I was proud to say that I'd tripled my range with the bow in that time, and I'd picked up spear fighting, though my knives were my best weapons by far.

I was in the middle of archery practice when Lee put a hand on my shoulder. "Hunter."

"What?" My arrow hit the bull's eye from a respectable distance, though I could definitely do better.

"Annabeth's back."

I turned, excited for the first time in a while. "Really?"

Lee's face was taut like a bowstring—his duties as a counselor had been weighing on him considerably since the barrier was weakened. His eyes were no longer merry, but sharp and focused, like Apollo would get when we played DDR. "Yeah, but…"

"But what?"

He looked like he wanted to say something but decided against it. "Don't worry about it, just go see them; I'll tell Connor what happened."

I nodded and put my bow back. "Thanks, Lee!" I called. He just raised a hand in farewell.

I found Percy and Annabeth walking down the crest of the hill, talking. Behind them was—

"Percy, move!" I said, summoning my bow and nocking an arrow. I had lost my home to a Laestrygonian and was nearly eaten by them; I wasn't going to let a monster hurt my friend.

Percy flinched, as did the cyclops, but Annabeth reacted fast. She put herself in between me and the monster, raising her hands. "Hunter, wait," she said. "He's…friendly." She ground the word out grudgingly.

I blinked but didn't lower my bow. "What?"

"It's true," Percy said quickly, putting the cyclops behind him. "He's my friend."

I lowered my bow. "Percy, you can't be _friends_ with a cyclops. They're monsters. They'll eat you without a second thought."

"Tyson won't."

I raised an eyebrow. "It has a name?"

" _He. He_ has a name."

"Then I expect you'll keep _him_ in line while he's here."

Percy straightened himself out. "Or what?"

"Then I'll send him to Tartarus, where he _belongs._ " I glanced at the cyclopes, who waved innocently. _Stupid little monster._

Percy took a step forward. "You won't—"

"Boys," Annabeth cut in, "that's enough. In case you've forgotten, we have bigger problems than a single cyclops."

We both grimaced. "You're right," I said. "Let's…let's go find Chiron."

"Yeah," Percy said, nodding, "let's go."

On the way Percy and Annabeth explained what had happened at the camp's border. I grimaced and explained how it had been happening more and more as the barrier was weakening. The rest of the walk was spent in silence.

When we got to the Big House, we found Chiron in his apartment, listening to his favorite 1960s lounge music while he packed his saddlebags.

As soon as we saw him, the cyclops froze. "Pony!" he cried in total rapture.

Chiron turned, looking offended. "I beg your pardon?"

Annabeth ran up and hugged him. "Chiron, what's happening? You're not...leaving?" Her voice was shaky. Chiron was like a second father to her.

Chiron ruffled her hair and gave her a kindly smile. "Hello, child. And Percy, my goodness. You've grown over the year!"

Percy swallowed. "Clarisse said you were...you were..."

"…fired." Chiron's eyes glinted with dark humor. "Ah, well, someone had to take the blame. Lord Zeus was most upset. The tree he'd created from the spirit of his daughter, poisoned! Mr. D had to punish someone."

"Besides himself, you mean," he growled.

"This is insane," I said. "Zeus's paranoia has gone too far this time. Chiron, you couldn't have had anything to do with poisoning Thalia's tree!"

"Nevertheless," Chiron sighed, "some in Olympus do not trust me now, under the circumstances."

"What circumstances?" Percy asked.

Chiron's face darkened. He stuffed a Latin-English dictionary into his saddlebag while the Frank Sinatra music oozed from his boom box.

Tyson was still staring at Chiron in amazement. He whimpered like he wanted to pat Chiron's flank but was afraid to come closer. "Pony?"

"Will you shut up!" I yelled. Bad enough Chiron was leaving, but now we had to deal with a _monster_ too? The Fates were cruel.

"Hunter!" Percy and Chiron both said at the same time.

"What?" I looked at Chiron. "We lose you, the greatest trainer of heroes this world has ever seen, and get some stupid cyclops instead? Not an even trade-off."

The cyclops let out a sound that I realized was a whimper. He rubbed his eye with his hand. _Stop, you stupid monster,_ I thought, scowling. _You'd eat us all if given the chance._ I ran my thumb along the hilt of the knife at my waist. Percy wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

Chiron sniffed. "Hunter, that is enough." He turned to the monster. "My dear young cyclops, I am a centaur. "

"Chiron," Percy said. "What about the tree? What happened?"

He shook his head sadly. "The poison used on Thalia's pine is something from the Underworld, Percy. Some venom even I have never seen. It must have come from a monster quite deep in the pits of Tartarus."

"Then we know who's responsible. Kro—"

"Do not invoke the titan lord's name, Percy. Especially not here, not now."

"But last summer he tried to cause a civil war in Olympus! This has to be his idea. He'd get Luke to do it, that traitor."

Percy didn't notice Annabeth's flinch, though I did. _He's right, Annabeth, Luke betrayed us. He'd betray you too, if he could._

"Perhaps," Chiron said. "But I fear I am being held responsible because I did not prevent it and I cannot cure it. The tree has only a few weeks of life left unless ..."

"Unless what?" Annabeth asked.

"No," Chiron said. "A foolish thought. The whole valley is feeling the shock of the poison. The magical borders are deteriorating. The camp itself is dying. Only one source of magic would be strong enough to reverse the poison, and it was lost centuries ago."

"What is it?" Percy asked. "We'll go find it!"

Chiron closed his saddlebag. He pressed the stop button on his boom box. Then he turned and rested his hand on Percy's shoulder, looking him straight in the eyes. "Percy, you must promise me that you will not act rashly. I told your mother I did not want you to come here at all this summer. It's much too dangerous. But now that you are here, stay here. Train hard. Learn to fight. But do not leave."

"Why?" he asked. "I want to do something! I can't just let the borders fail. The whole camp will be—"

"—overrun by monsters," Chiron said. "Yes, I fear so. But you must not let yourself be baited into hasty action! This could be a trap of the titan lord. Remember last summer! He almost took your life."

Annabeth was trying hard not to cry. Chiron brushed a tear from her cheek. "Stay with Percy, child," he told her. "Keep him safe. The prophecy—remember it!"

"I—I will."

"Um..." Percy said. "Would this be the super-dangerous prophecy that has me in it, but the gods have forbidden you to tell me about?"

Nobody answered.

"Right. Just checking."

Chiron turned to me. "Hunter, keep an eye on these two for me, eh? Can you do that?"

I realized my eyes were beginning to water. _First Apollo leaves, and now Chiron. Who next?_ "I—I will. I can."

He smiled. "Good. I'm sure your"—his eyes glanced down at my arm, right where the mark was—"problem will resolve itself shortly."

My throat was suddenly dry. _Does he recognize the mark?_ I thought. _Does he know what it means._

"Wait, do you—"

"Chiron..." Annabeth said. "You told me the gods made you immortal only so long as you were needed to train heroes. If they dismiss you from camp—"

"Swear you will do your best to keep Percy from danger," he insisted. "Swear upon the River Styx."

"I—I swear it upon the River Styx," Annabeth said.

Thunder rumbled outside.

"Very well," Chiron said. He seemed to relax just a little. "Perhaps my name will be cleared and I shall return. Until then, I go to visit my wild kinsmen in the Everglades. It's possible they know of some cure for the poisoned tree that I have forgotten. In any event, I will stay in exile until this matter is resolved...one way or another."

Annabeth stifled a sob. Chiron patted her shoulder awkwardly. "There, now, child. I must entrust your safety to Mr. D and the new activities director. We must hope...well, perhaps they won't destroy the camp quite as quickly as I fear."

"Who is this Tantalus guy, anyway?" Percy demanded. "Where does he get off taking your job?"

A conch horn blew across the valley. I hadn't realized how late it was. It was time for the campers to assemble for dinner.

"Go," Chiron said. "You will meet him at the pavilion. I will contact your mother, Percy, and let her know you're safe. No doubt she'll be worried by now. Just remember my warning! You are in grave danger. Do not think for a moment that the Titan Lord has forgotten you!"

With that, he clopped out of the apartment and down the hall, the cyclops calling after him, "Pony! Don't go!"

-o-

The sun was setting behind the dining pavilion as the campers came up from their cabins. We stood in the shadow of a marble column and watched them file in. Annabeth was still pretty shaken up, but she promised she'd talk to us later. Then she went off to join her siblings from the Athena cabin—a dozen boys and girls with blond hair and gray eyes like hers. Annabeth wasn't the oldest, but she'd been at camp more summers than just about anybody. You could tell that by looking at her camp necklace—one bead for every summer, and Annabeth had six. No one questioned her right to lead the line.

Next came Clarisse, leading the Ares cabin. She had one arm in a sling and a nasty-looking gash on her cheek, but otherwise her encounter with the bronze bulls didn't seem to have fazed her. Someone had taped a piece of paper to her back that said, YOU MOO, GIRL! But nobody in her cabin was bothering to tell her about it.

After the Ares kids came the Hephaestus cabin—six guys led by Charles Beckendorf, a big fifteen-year-old African American kid. He had hands the size of catchers' mitts and a face that was hard and squinty from looking into a blacksmith's forge all day. He was nice enough once you got to know him, but no one ever called him Charlie or Chuck or Charles. Most just called him Beckendorf. Rumor was he could make anything. Give him a chunk of metal and he could create a razor-sharp sword or a robotic warrior or a singing birdbath for your grandmother's garden. Whatever you wanted.

The other cabins filed in: Demeter, Apollo, Aphrodite, Dionysus. Naiads came up from the canoe lake. Dryads melted out of the trees. From the meadow came a dozen satyrs, who reminded me painfully of Grover. There was still no sign of him, though hopefully Percy's seen or talked to him recently.

Then the Hermes cabin filed in, led by Connor and Travis. "I'll talk to you later, Percy," I said, then I gave one last dirty look to the cyclops and rushed to get in line.

As soon as the last campers had filed in, Percy led the cyclops into the middle of the pavilion. Conversations faltered. Heads turned. "Who invited that?" somebody at the Apollo table murmured.

He glared in their direction, but couldn't figure out who'd spoken.

From the head table a familiar voice drawled, "Well, well, if it isn't Peter Johnson. My millennium is complete."

Percy's jaw clenched. "Percy Jackson...sir."

Mr. D sipped his Diet Coke. "Yes. Well, as you young people say these days: Whatever." He was wearing his usual leopard-pattern Hawaiian shirt, walking shorts, and tennis shoes with black socks. With his pudgy belly and his blotchy red face, he looked like a Las Vegas tourist who'd stayed up too late in the casinos. Behind him, a nervous-looking satyr was peeling the skins off grapes and handing them to Mr. D, one at a time.

Next to him sat Tantalus: a pale, horribly thin man in a threadbare orange prisoner's jump-suit. The number over his pocket read 0001. He had blue shadows under his eyes, dirty fingernails, and badly cut gray hair, like his last haircut had been done with a weed whacker. He stared at me; his eyes made me nervous. He looked...fractured. Angry and frustrated and hungry all at the same time.

"This boy," Dionysus told him, "you need to watch. Poseidon's child, you know."

"Ah!" the prisoner said. "That one. I am Tantalus," the prisoner said, smiling coldly. "On special assignment here until, well, until my Lord Dionysus decides otherwise. And you, Perseus Jackson, I do expect you to refrain from causing any more trouble."

"Trouble?" he demanded.

Dionysus snapped his fingers. A newspaper appeared on the table—the front page of today's New York Post, though I couldn't see the front page. Percy did, however, and his face paled. I assumed that something bad happened when Annabeth went to get him.

"Yes, trouble," Tantalus said with satisfaction. "You caused plenty of it last summer, I understand."

Everyone was watching the exchange with absolute focus, looking from Mr. D to Percy to Tantalus and back.

A satyr inched forward nervously and set a plate of barbecue in front of Tantalus. The new activities director licked his lips. He looked at his empty goblet and said, "Root beer. Barq's special stock. 1967." The glass filled itself with foamy soda. Tantalus stretched out his hand hesitantly, as if he were afraid the goblet was hot.

"Go on, then, old fellow," Dionysus said, a strange sparkle in his eyes. "Perhaps now it will work."

Tantalus grabbed for the glass, but it scooted away before he could touch it. A few drops of root beer spilled, and Tantalus tried to dab them up with his fingers, but the drops rolled away like quicksilver before he could touch them. He growled and turned toward the plate of barbecue. He picked up a fork and tried to stab a piece of brisket, but the plate skittered down the table and flew off the end, straight into the coals of the brazier.

"Blast!" Tantalus muttered.

"Ah, well," Dionysus said, his voice dripping with false sympathy. "Perhaps a few more days. Believe me, old chap, working at this camp will be torture enough. I'm sure your old curse will fade eventually."

"Eventually," muttered Tantalus, staring at Dionysus's Diet Coke. "Do you have any idea how dry one's throat gets after three thousand years?"

"You're that spirit from the Fields of Punishment," Percy said. "The one who stands in the lake with the fruit tree hanging over you, but you can't eat or drink."

Tantalus sneered at him. "A real scholar, aren't you, boy?"

"You must've done something really horrible when you were alive," Percy said, mildly impressed. "What was it?"

Tantalus's eyes narrowed. Behind him, the satyrs were shaking their heads vigorously, trying to warn me. "I'll be watching you, Percy Jackson," Tantalus said. "I don't want any problems at my camp."

"Your camp has problems already...sir."

"Oh, go sit down, Johnson," Dionysus sighed. "I believe that table over there is yours—the one where no one else ever wants to sit."

Percy scowled and said, "Come on, Tyson."

"Oh, no," Tantalus said. "The monster stays here. We must decide what to do with it."

"Him," he snapped. "His name is Tyson."

The new activities director raised an eyebrow.

"Tyson saved the camp," Percy insisted. "He pounded those bronze bulls. Otherwise they would've burned down this whole place."

"Yes," Tantalus sighed, "and what a pity that would've been."

Dionysus snickered.

"Leave us," Tantalus ordered, "while we decide this creature's fate."

Tyson looked at him with fear in his one big eye, but I knew Percy couldn't disobey a direct order from the camp directors. Not openly, anyway. _All for the better, really,_ I thought. _We can't have monsters causing trouble here._

"I'll be right over here, big guy," Percy promised. "Don't worry. We'll find you a good place to sleep tonight."

Tyson nodded. "I believe you. You are my friend."

Percy trudged over to the Poseidon table and slumped onto the bench. A wood nymph brought him a plate of Olympian olive-and-pepperoni pizza, but he clearly wasn't hungry. I shrugged. _You can't trust monsters. Not ever._

We all got up and threw parts of our meals into the braziers for the gods. I said a tiny invocation to Apollo, then turned to returned to the Hermes table, only to stop. I rubbed my arm. _Artemis?_ I thought. _I know we haven't talked in a while, but…I need help. The wolf dreams, they're happening all the time now, and I…I don't know what they mean. I can't control it. If you could send me a sign, or…something to help me, that'd be…well, it'd be great. Uh, thanks, I guess?_

I sat down.

Tantalus had one of the satyrs blow the conch horn to get our attention for announcements.

"Yes, well," Tantalus said, once the talking had died down. "Another fine meal! Or so I am told." As he spoke, he inched his hand toward his refilled dinner plate, as if maybe the food wouldn't notice what he was doing, but it did. It shot away down the table as soon as he got within six inches. "And here on my first day of authority," he continued, "I'd like to say what a pleasant form of punishment it is to be here. Over the course of the summer, I hope to torture, er, interact with each and every one of you children. You all look good enough to eat."

Dionysus clapped politely, leading to some halfhearted applause from the satyrs.

"And now some changes!" Tantalus gave the campers a crooked smile. "We are reinstituting the chariot races!"

Murmuring broke out at all the tables—excitement, fear, disbelief.

"What are chariot races?" I asked.

"Shh!" someone hissed.

"Rude."

"Now, I know," Tantalus continued, raising his voice, "that these races were discontinued some years ago due to, ah, technical problems."

"Three deaths and twenty-six mutilations," someone at the Apollo table called.

"Uh, what?"

"Yes, yes!" Tantalus said. "But I know that you will all join me in welcoming the return of this camp tradition. Golden laurels will go to the winning charioteers each month. Teams may register in the morning! The first race will be held in three days' time. We will release you from most of your regular activities to prepare your chariots and choose your horses. Oh, and did I mention, the victorious team's cabin will have no chores for the month in which they win?"

An explosion of excited conversation—no KP for a whole month? No stable cleaning? Was he serious?

"But, sir!" Clarisse said. She looked nervous, but she stood up to speak from the Ares table. Some of the campers snickered when they saw the YOU MOO, GIRL! sign on her back. "What about patrol duty? I mean, if we drop every-thing to ready our chariots—"

"Ah, the hero of the day," Tantalus exclaimed. "Brave Clarisse, who single-handedly bested the bronze bulls!"

Clarisse blinked, then blushed. "Um, I didn't—"

"And modest, too." Tantalus grinned. "Not to worry, my dear! This is a summer camp. We are here to enjoy ourselves, yes?"

"But the tree—"

"And now," Tantalus said, as several of Clarisse's cabin mates pulled her back into her seat, "before we proceed to the campfire and sing-along, one slight housekeeping issue. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase have seen fit, for some reason, to bring _this_ here." Tantalus waved a hand toward Tyson.

Uneasy murmuring spread among the campers. A lot of sideways looks at the Poseidon table.

"Now, of course," he said, "Cyclops have a reputation for being bloodthirsty monsters with a very small brain capacity. Under normal circumstances, I would release this beast into the woods and have you hunt it down with torches and pointed sticks. But who knows? Perhaps this cyclops is not as horrible as most of its brethren. Until it proves worthy of destruction, we need a place to keep it! I've thought about the stables, but that will make the horses nervous. Hermes's cabin, possibly?"

I paled. _No,_ I thought, _gods, please, no, no no no no no no._

"Come now," Tantalus chided. "The monster may be able to do some menial chores. Any suggestions as to where such a beast should be kenneled?"

Suddenly everybody gasped.

Tantalus scooted away from Tyson in surprise. All I could do was stare in disbelief at the brilliant green light that was about to change my life—a dazzling holographic image that had appeared above Tyson's head.

I gulped. _Of course. Cyclops are normally children of…_

… _oh, Percy._

Tantalus roared with laughter. "Well! I think we know where to put the beast now. By the gods, I can see the family resemblance!"

Everybody laughed except Annabeth, me, and a few of Percy's other friends.

The cyclops didn't seem to notice. He was too mystified, trying to swat the glowing trident that was now fading over his head. He was too stupid to understand how much they were making fun of him.

But Percy knew, I could see it.

The cyclops was Percy's half-brother.

-o-

The next few days were torture for Percy, I could tell.

The comments from the other campers were the worst. Suddenly, he wasn't Percy Jackson, the cool guy who'd retrieved Zeus's lightning bolt last summer. Now he was Percy Jackson, the poor schmuck with the ugly monster for a brother.

"He's not my real brother!" I protested whenever Tyson wasn't around. "He's more like a half-brother on the monstrous side of the family. Like...a half-brother twice removed, or something."

Nobody bought it, not even me.

Annabeth took pity on him and offered to work on the chariot together. He agreed, and they spent the majority of their time formulating plans on how to beat everyone else. The Hermes cabin had more than enough workers, so I was able to slip away whenever we got together to brainstorm. Nobody even noticed.

One morning Annabeth, Percy and I were sitting by the canoe lake, the two of them sketching chariot designs, when some jokers from Aphrodite's cabin walked by and asked me if I needed to borrow some eyeliner for my eye..."Oh sorry, _eyes_." I noticed that Drew was the one who had said that.

As they walked away laughing, Annabeth grumbled, "Just ignore them, Percy. It isn't your fault you have a monster for a brother."

"He's not my brother!" Percy snapped. "And he's not a monster, either!"

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "Hey, don't get mad at me! And technically, he is a monster."

"Well you gave him permission to enter the camp."

"Because it was the only way to save your life! I mean...I'm sorry, Percy, I didn't expect Poseidon to claim him. Cyclopes are the most deceitful, treacherous—"

"He is not! What have you got against Cyclopes, anyway?

Annabeth's ears turned pink. "Just forget it," she said. "Now, the axle for this chariot—"

"You're treating him like he's this horrible thing," Percy said. "He saved my life."

Annabeth threw down her pencil and stood. "Then maybe you should design a chariot with him."

"Maybe I should."

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

She stormed off and left me alone with Percy.

He picked up a pebble and threw it in the lake. "What's her deal?"

"She isn't wrong," I said, sharpening one of my knives. "Cyclopes are dangerous."

Percy whirled on me. "And what do you know about Cyclopes?"

"I know that they're dangerous and won't hesitate to eat people. You every heard of Polyphemus, Percy? He trapped Odysseus and his crew in his cave and ate them one by one. He was a cyclops and a child of Poseidon too. You really think Tyrone is any different?"

"Tyson," he corrected.

I waved a hand. "Doesn't matter. You shouldn't trust him, Percy."

He scowled. "Oh, yeah, because you're the monster expert. At least my dad cared enough about Tyson to claim him; what's your mom ever done for you?"

I shot to my feet. "She is _not_ my mother, get that through your thick skull."

He scoffed. "Whatever."

"Yeah, whatever." I kicked a chariot design away with my foot. "Good luck on your chariot, monster boy."

-o-

The next few days went by quickly. Everyone kept their distance from the cyclops, except for the guys from the Hephaestus cabin. They had Tyson working in the forges with them as soon as they could.

The nature spirits often spent time playing music in front of Thalia's tree. The satyrs played their reed pipes while the nymphs murmured quiet blessings. The bark would get stronger and the needles would get greener, but once the music ended the tree began to get sicker once again.

When I approached, the nymphs looked at me nervously and backed up, hands tightened into fists. A satyr raised his hand in the three-finger ward to fend off evil. I scowled at him, and he scampered off. The rest of the nature spirits gave me a wide berth, muttering amongst themselves.

"Changer…"

"Beastling…"

"Skinwalker…"

I watched them go before I put a hand on the bark of Thalia's tree. I closed my eyes, and for a moment I thought I felt something—a consciousness, maybe. Something seeking to be free, though it seemed as though it were asleep.

"We'll find a way to heal you," I promised, "I swear it."

-o-

The morning of the race was hot and humid. Fog lay low on the ground like sauna steam. Millions of birds were roosting in the trees—fat gray-and-white pigeons, except they didn't coo like regular pigeons. They made this annoying metallic screeching sound that reminded me of submarine radar.

The racetrack had been built in a grassy field between the archery range and the woods. Hephaestus's cabin had used the bronze bulls, which were completely tame since they'd had their heads smashed in, to plow an oval track in a matter of minutes.

There were rows of stone steps for the spectators— Tantalus, the satyrs, a few dryads, and all of the campers who weren't participating, like me. Mr. D didn't show. He never got up before ten o'clock.

"Right!" Tantalus announced as the teams began to assemble. A naiad had brought him a big platter of pastries, and as Tantalus spoke, his right hand chased a chocolate eclair across the judge's table. "You all know the rules. A quarter-mile track. Twice around to win. Two horses per chariot. Each team will consist of a driver and a fighter. Weapons are allowed. Dirty tricks are expected. But try not to kill anybody!" Tantalus smiled at them like they were all naughty children. "Any killing will result in harsh punishment. No s'mores at the campfire for a week! Now ready your chariots!"

Beckendorf led the Hephaestus team onto the track. They had a ride made of bronze and iron—even the horses, which were magical automatons like the Colchis bulls. I had no doubt that their chariot had all kinds of mechanical traps and more fancy options than a fully loaded Maserati.

The Ares chariot was bloodred and pulled by two grisly horse skeletons. Clarisse climbed aboard with a batch of javelins, spiked balls, caltrops, and a bunch of other nasty toys. Apollo's chariot was trim and graceful and completely gold, pulled by two beautiful palominos. Their fighter was armed with a bow, though he had promised not to shoot regular pointed arrows at the opposing drivers.

Hermes's chariot was green and kind of old-looking, as if it hadn't been out of the garage in years. It didn't look like anything special, but it was manned by the Stoll brothers, and I shuddered to think what dirty tricks they'd schemed up. No doubt they'd use all the dirty tricks they could think up.

That left two chariots: one driven by Annabeth, and the other by Percy. Percy's was blue and white, with wave designs on the sides and a trident painted on the front. The cyclops was in the chariot as well. Annabeth's had an owl painted on the front and had olive vines painted on the front. Malcolm Pace (who looked really good in riding armor) was in the front with her, spear in hand.

The conch horn sounded. "Charioteers!" Tantalus called. "To your mark!"

As the riders were walking to their chariots, I noticed how many more pigeons were in the trees now—screeching like crazy, making the whole forest rustle. Nobody else seemed to be paying them much attention, but they made me nervous. Their beaks glinted strangely. Their eyes seemed shinier than regular birds.

Percy took the reins and maneuvered the chariot to the starting line. He gave the cyclops a ten-foot pole and told him that his job was to push the other chariots away if they got too close, and to deflect anything they might try to throw at them. _The extra weight will slow you down,_ I thought. _I hope you know what you're doing, Percy._

As the chariots lined up, more shiny-eyed pigeons gathered in the woods. They were screeching so loudly the campers in the stands were starting to take notice, glancing nervously at the trees, which shivered under the weight of the birds. Tantalus didn't look concerned, but he did have to speak up to be heard over the noise.

"Charioteers!" he shouted. "Attend your mark!"

He waved his hand and the starting signal dropped. The chariots roared to life. Hooves thundered against the dirt. The crowd cheered.

Almost immediately there was a loud nasty crack! I saw the Apollo chariot flip over. The Hermes chariot had rammed into it—maybe by mistake, maybe not. The riders were thrown free, but their panicked horses dragged the golden chariot diagonally across the track. The Hermes team, Travis and Connor Stoll, were laughing at their good luck, but not for long. The Apollo horses crashed into theirs, and the Hermes chariot flipped too, leaving a pile of broken wood and four rearing horses in the dust.

Spectators from the Hermes and Apollo cabins groaned. _Well, hopefully either Percy or Annabeth will win._

Percy were making good time, pulling ahead of Ares, but Annabeth's chariot was way ahead of them. She was already making her turn around the first post, her javelin man grinning and waving, shouting: "See ya!"

The Hephaestus chariot was starting to gain on them, too. Beckendorf pressed a button, and a panel slid open on the side of his chariot.

"Sorry, Percy!" he yelled. Three sets of balls and chains shot straight toward Percy's wheels. They would've wrecked them completely if the cyclops hadn't whacked them aside with a quick swipe of his pole. He gave the Hephaestus chariot a good shove and sent them skittering sideways while they pulled ahead.

Someone gave a shout. Above the field, the large pigeons had lifted off from the trees and were spiraling toward the racetrack. I stood up, straining to see the track. _Here's hoping the racers don't get distracted._

A dark shadow passed over the stands, and something crowed at the stands. I looked up just in time to see the birds dive-bomb us, hawking and clawing. Now that the birds were closer, it was clear they weren't normal pigeons. Their eyes were beady and evil-looking. Their beaks were made of bronze, and judging from the yelps of the campers, they must've been razor sharp. A bird attacked me raked my arm with its claw. I screamed. Red blood ran down my arm, and a deep gash was leaking crimson.

Some of the spectators were trying to fight back. The Athena campers were calling for shields. The archers from Apollo's cabin brought out their bows and arrows, ready to slay the menace, but with so many campers mixed in with the birds, it wasn't safe to shoot.

I jumped from the stand, but my foot landed wrong. I fell, my leg twisting. I rolled onto my back. A bird dove at me, and I raised my good arm to defend myself, but another bird pinned it down with its feet and was clawing at my open palm with its beak. I grabbed it and began to squeeze, but the first bird was clawing at my face. _My eyes. They're going to peck out my eyes._

I saw Clarisse bellowing orders, but there was nothing I could do.

Suddenly the air was filled with violins and a bunch of guys moaning in Italian. The demon pigeons went nuts. They started flying in circles, running into each other like they wanted to bash their own brains out. Then they abandoned the track altogether and flew skyward in a huge dark wave. The bird in my hand died with a _crack_ of hollow bones. The ones on my face flew off, squawking.

"Now!" shouted Annabeth. "Archers!"

With clear targets, Apollo's archers had flawless aim. Most of them could notch five or six arrows at once. Within minutes, the ground was littered with dead bronze-beaked pigeons, and the survivors were a distant trail of smoke on the horizon.

The camp was saved, but the wreckage wasn't pretty. Most of the chariots had been completely destroyed. Almost everyone was wounded, bleeding from multiple bird pecks. The kids from Aphrodite's cabin were screaming because their hairdos had been ruined and their clothes pooped on.

Will Solace approached me quickly, shoving a piece of ambrosia into my mouth. The leg I had landed on was broken, so I couldn't rise. "Help me," I said. He put a hand under my armpit and pulled me up, supporting me with my arm over his shoulder.

"Bravo!" Tantalus said. "We have our first winner!" He walked to the finish line and awarded the golden laurels for the race to a stunned-looking Clarisse. Then he turned and smiled at Percy and Annabeth. "And now to punish the troublemakers who disrupted this race."

-o-

The way Tantalus saw it, the Stymphalian birds had simply been minding their own business in the woods and would not have attacked if Annabeth, Percy, and the cyclops hadn't disturbed them with their bad chariot driving.

Percy told Tantalus to go chase a doughnut, which didn't help his mood. He sentenced them to kitchen patrol—scrubbing pots and platters all afternoon in the underground kitchen with the cleaning harpies.

Tantalus walked off, smiling, while Percy and Annabeth looked irate. When they saw me, they ran over, the cyclops hot on their heels.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." I looked at Will, still supporting me. "How much longer until I can walk again?"

"A few hours. The ambrosia's working on fixing all your injuries, not just your leg. Sorry."

I winced. "Damn. Good driving, you guys."

Percy smiled. "Thanks. Too bad Tantalus doesn't think so."

"You are hurt?" the cyclops asked.

"I'm fine, Tyrone."

"Tyson."

"Tyson. Whatever."

"Come on," Will said, "I need to get this leg wrapped up."

I nodded. "I'll see you guys later."

Annabeth waved a hand. "We'll see you later, Hunter."

Will took me back to the infirmary and wrapped a blue cast around my leg. "Will you let me see your arm now?" he asked. "The ambrosia should be helping."

I was going to say no, but I thought better of it. Maybe Will knew something about the mark. "Promise you won't tell anyone about what you see," I said.

He looked up, surprised. "What?"

"Just trust me, please."

"Okay."

He unwrapped my arm slowly, his fingers feather-light. In the morning glow, he looked pretty good. _Clean thoughts, Hunter,_ I told myself, _clean thoughts._ As the bandage came away, the mark came into view. Will ran his fingers over it. "What is this?"

"I was hoping you knew."

Will pursed his lips. "I know a lot of symbols, Hunter, but nothing like this. What's it called.?"

"The one who gave it to me called it the mark of the beastling."

He looked up. "Beastling?" He rose. "I've been studying Native American folklore recently, and they mention something called a skinwalker. Is that like a beastling?"

"Yes!" I said, suddenly ecstatic. "Some of the nymphs have called me that recently. What is it?"

Will leaned against an empty bed. "Well, from what I've read so far—which isn't much, mind you—it's someone who can change their form into an animal at will, can you do that?"

I shook my head. "No." _Though I dream of wolves._ Could that be it? I can enter the minds of animals? _The Hind._ Last year, on the way to the Underworld, I dreamed that I was in the mind of the Ceryneian Hind, an animal sacred to Artemis. Maybe I could slip inside the minds of animals, if given time to practice.

Will stood and spread his hands. "Then I don't know what it could mean. Sorry."

I waved him off. "Don't worry about it. I'll figure it out soon, I'm sure."

He nodded. "Okay." He pointed. "Can I sign your cast?"

I laughed. "Sure thing, buddy."

-o-

That night at the campfire, Apollo's cabin led the sing-along. I had gotten my cast removed before we began, and was running my hand along the exposed skin. They tried to get everybody's spirits up, but it wasn't easy after that afternoon's bird attack. We all sat around a semicircle of stone steps, singing halfheartedly and watching the bonfire blaze while the Apollo guys strummed their guitars and picked their lyres. Everyone was pretty down.

We did all the standard camp numbers: "Down by the Aegean," "I Am My Own Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandpa," "This Land is Minos's Land." The bonfire was enchanted, so the louder you sang, the higher it rose, changing color and heat with the mood of the crowd. On a good night, I'd seen it twenty feet high, bright purple, and so hot the whole front row's marshmallows burst into the flames. Tonight, the fire was only five feet high, barely warm, and the flames were the color of lint.

Dionysus left early. After suffering through a few songs, he muttered something about how even pinochle with Chiron had been more exciting than this. Then he gave Tantalus a distasteful look and headed back toward the Big House.

When the last song was over, Tantalus said, "Well, that was lovely!" He came forward with a toasted marshmallow on a stick and tried to pluck it off, real casual-like. But before he could touch it, the marshmallow flew off the stick. Tantalus made a wild grab, but the marshmallow committed suicide, diving into the flames. Tantalus turned back toward us, smiling coldly. "Now then! Some announcements about tomorrow's schedule."

"Sir," Percy said.

Tantalus's eye twitched. "Our kitchen boy has something to say?"

Some of the Ares campers snickered, but everyone else was silent. He stood and looked at Annabeth. She stood with him.

Percy said, "We have an idea to save the camp."

I leaned forward, interested. There was dead silence, but he'd gotten everybody's interest, because the campfire flared bright yellow.

"Indeed," Tantalus said blandly. "Well, if it has anything to do with chariots—"

"The Golden Fleece," he said. "We know where it is."

The flames burned orange. Before Tantalus could stop him, he blurted out how he'd of Grover and Polyphemus's island. Annabeth stepped in and reminded everybody what the Fleece could do. It sounded more convincing coming from her. _I'll be darned,_ I thought, _we can do this!_

"The Fleece can save the camp," she concluded. "I'm certain of it."

"Nonsense," said Tantalus. "We don't need saving."

Everybody stared at him until Tantalus started looking uncomfortable. _You foolish man._

"Besides," he added quickly, "the Sea of Monsters? That's hardly an exact location. You wouldn't even know where to look."

"Yes, I would," Percy said. "30, 31, 75, 12."

"Ooo-kay," Tantalus said. "Thank you for sharing those meaningless numbers."

"They're sailing coordinates," he said. "Latitude and longitude. I, uh, learned about it in social studies."

Even Annabeth looked impressed. "30 degrees, 31 minutes north, 75 degrees, 12 minutes west. He's right! The Gray Sisters gave us those coordinates. That'd be somewhere in the Atlantic, off the coast of Florida. The Sea of Monsters. We need a quest!"

"Wait just a minute," Tantalus said.

But the campers took up the chant. "We need a quest! We need a quest!"

The flames rose higher.

"It isn't necessary!" Tantalus insisted.

"WE NEED A QUEST! WE NEED A QUEST!"

"Fine!" Tantalus shouted, his eyes blazing with anger. "You brats want me to assign a quest?"

"YES!"

"Very well," he agreed. "I shall authorize a champion to undertake this perilous journey, to retrieve the Golden Fleece and bring it back to camp. Or die trying."

My heart filled with excitement. Annabeth, Percy and I could save the camp, just like we had last year. We'd save Grover. We'd be heroes.

"I will allow our champion to consult the Oracle!" Tantalus announced. "And choose two companions for the journey. And I think the choice of champion is obvious." Tantalus looked at Annabeth and Percy as if he wanted to flay them alive. "The champion should be one who has earned the camp's respect, who has proven resourceful in the chariot races and courageous in the defense of the camp. You shall lead this quest...Clarisse!"

The fire flickered a thousand different colors. The Ares cabin started stomping and cheering, "CLARISSE! CLARISSE!"

Clarisse stood up, looking stunned. Then she swallowed, and her chest swelled with pride. "I accept the quest!"

"Wait!" Percy shouted. "Grover is my friend. The dream came to me."

"Sit down!" yelled one of the Ares campers. "You had your chance last summer!"

"Yeah, he just wants to be in the spotlight again!" another said.

Clarisse glared at me. "I accept the quest!" she repeated. "I, Clarisse, daughter of Ares, will save the camp!"

The Ares campers cheered even louder. Annabeth protested, and the other Athena campers joined in. Everybody else started taking sides—shouting and arguing and throwing marshmallows. I was screaming as well, demanding Percy be allowed to lead the quest. I thought it was going to turn into a full-fledged s'more war until Tantalus shouted, "Silence, you brats!"

His tone stunned everyone.

"Sit down!" he ordered. "And I will tell you a ghost story."

I didn't know what he was up to, but we all moved reluctantly back to our seats. The evil aura radiating from Tantalus was as strong as any monster I'd ever faced.

"Once upon a time there was a mortal king who was beloved of the Gods!" Tantalus put his hand on his chest, and I got the feeling he was talking about himself. "This king," he said, "was even allowed to feast on Mount Olympus. But when he tried to take some ambrosia and nectar back to earth to figure out the recipe—just one little doggie bag, mind you—the gods punished him. They banned him from their halls forever! His own people mocked him! His children scolded him! And, oh yes, campers, he had horrible children. Children—just—like— you." He pointed a crooked finger at several people in the audience, including Percy. "Do you know what he did to his ungrateful children?" Tantalus asked softly. "Do you know how he paid back the gods for their cruel punishment? He invited the Olympians to a feast at his palace, just to show there were no hard feelings. No one noticed that his children were missing. And when he served the gods dinner, my dear campers, can you guess what was in the stew?"

No one dared answer. The firelight glowed dark blue, reflecting evilly on Tantalus's crooked face.

"Oh, the gods punished him in the afterlife," Tantalus croaked. "They did indeed. But he'd had his moment of satisfaction, hadn't he? His children never again spoke back to him or questioned his authority. And do you know what? Rumor has it that the king's spirit now dwells at this very camp, waiting for a chance to take revenge on ungrateful, rebellious children. And so...are there any more complaints, before we send Clarisse off on her quest?"

Silence.

Tantalus nodded at Clarisse. "The Oracle, my dear. Go on."

She shifted uncomfortably, like even she didn't want glory at the price of being Tantalus's pet. "Sir—"

"Go!" he snarled.

She bowed awkwardly and hurried off toward the Big House.

"What about you, Percy Jackson?" Tantalus asked. "No comments from our dishwasher?"

He didn't say anything.

"Good," Tantalus said. "And let me remind everyone—no one leaves this camp without my permission. Anyone who tries...well, if they survive the attempt, they will be expelled forever, but it won't come to that. The harpies will be enforcing curfew from now on, and they are always hungry! Good night, my dear campers. Sleep well."

With a wave of Tantalus's hand, the fire was extinguished, and the campers trailed off toward their cabins in the dark.

-o-

The ground passed by in a blur, the wind whipping my fur as I ran. My brothers and sisters were all around me, free and happy. _I'm in Winter's body,_ I realized. _I see what she sees._

A herd of deer were nearby. We attacked quickly, ambushing them where they stood. Most fled, though we caught one in our teeth and brought it down, its blood on our tongues. The moon was high and yellow, and we sung our victory to the heavens.

 _Skinchanger,_ the wind seemed to whisper.

I raised Winter's head and looked around. The trees were rustling in the wind, and the birds were screaming, the scent of blood in the air.

I concentrated hard, and thought a single command for Winter, hoping she would understand: _Find me._

Together, we would figure out why we were connected.

Her whole body vibrated, and she barked at the group. They all rose, following her command. Together, they rushed into the trees, following the scent of the man-cub who they had known for so many years.

"PERCY!"

My head popped off my pillow. I rose quickly, pushing the door open. _Annabeth?_ The moon was full. Annabeth was running past, the cyclops running with her. They both looked worried. I shut the door and ran after them.

"Annabeth!"

She stopped and turned back. "Hunter?"

"What's going on?"

"Percy!" the cyclops said. "Percy is in trouble!"

I turned to Annabeth. "We heard him shouting," she said.

"Then we'd better help him," I said. The three of us ran toward the beach, where we could see Percy standing there, almost silver in the moonlight. He was holding something.

"What's going on?" Annabeth asked when we caught up to him. "I heard you calling for help!"

"Me, too!" Tyson said. "Heard you yell, 'Bad things are attacking!'"

"I didn't call you guys," Percy said. "I'm fine."

"But then who..." Annabeth noticed the three yellow duffel bags, then the thermos and the bottle of vitamins he was holding. "What—"

"Just listen," Percy said. "We don't have much time."

He told us quickly about his meeting with the god Hermes, and how he'd been told to go on the quest to save Grover. How there was a cruise ship nearby that could take us there.

"Percy," Annabeth said, "we have to do the quest."

"We'll get expelled, you know. Trust me, I'm an expert at getting expelled."

"So? If we fail, there won't be any camp to come back to."

"Yeah, but you promised Chiron—"

"I promised I'd keep you from danger. I can only do that by coming with you! Tyson can stay behind and tell them—"

"I want to go," the cyclops said.

"No!" Annabeth's voices sounded close to panic. "I mean...Percy, come on. You know that's impossible. You, me, and Hunter, like last year."

He was quiet for a long time. Then he said, "We can't leave him. Tantalus will punish him for us being gone."

"Percy," Annabeth said, trying to keep her cool, "we're going to Polyphemus's island! Polyphemus is an S-i-k...a C-y-k . .." She stamped her foot in frustration. As smart as she was, Annabeth was dyslexic, too. We could've been there all night while she tried to spell Cyclops. "You know what I mean!"

"Tyson can go," I insisted, "if he wants to."

The cyclops clapped his hands. "Want to!"

The harpies' shrieks were getting louder.

Annabeth gave him the evil eye, but I guess she could tell he wasn't going to change his mind. Or maybe she just knew we didn't have time to argue.

"All right," she said. "How do we get to that ship?"

"Hermes said my father would help."

"Well then, Seaweed Brain? What are you waiting for?"

"Urn, Dad?" I called. "How's it going?"

"Percy!" Annabeth whispered. "We're in a hurry!"

"We need your help," he called a little louder. "We need to get to that ship, like, before we get eaten and stuff, so..."

At first, nothing happened. Waves crashed against the shore like normal. The harpies sounded like they were right behind the sand dunes. Then, about a hundred yards out to sea, three white lines appeared on the surface. They moved fast toward the shore, like claws ripping through the ocean. As they neared the beach, the surf burst apart and the heads of three white stallions reared out of the waves.

The cyclops caught his breath. "Fish ponies!"

He was right. As the creatures pulled themselves onto the sand, I saw that they were only horses in the front; their back halves were silvery fish bodies, with glistening scales and rainbow tail fins.

"Hippocampi!" Annabeth said. "They're beautiful."

The nearest one whinnied in appreciation and nuzzled Annabeth.

"We'll admire them later," I said. "Come on!"

"There's only three," I said.

"What?"

"There!" a voice screeched behind us. "Bad children out of cabins! Snack time for lucky harpies!"

Five of them were fluttering over the top of the dunes—plump little hags with pinched faces and talons and feathery wings too small for their bodies. They reminded me of miniature cafeteria ladies who'd been crossbred with dodo birds. They weren't very fast, thank the gods, but they were vicious if they caught you.

"Tyson!" I said. "Grab a duffel bag!" He was still staring at the hippocampi with his mouth hanging open. "Tyson!"

"Uh?"

"Come on!"

With Annabeth's help they got him moving. They gathered the bags and mounted their steeds. Poseidon must've known Tyson was one of the passengers, because one hippocampus was much larger than the other two—just right for carrying a Cyclops.

"Wait," Annabeth said, "there isn't one for Hunter."

"That isn't right." Percy closed his eyes. "Dad, listen, thanks for this and all, but—"

Sudden realization came to me. Only Annabeth and the cyclops heard Percy, not me. There was only enough room for Percy, Annabeth, and the cyclops. Only three can be on a quest at a time, no more or no less. I wasn't supposed to be here.

"No," I said, dread coiling like a snake in my stomach. "You guys need to go."

"What?" Annabeth's eyes were wide. "Hunter, that's crazy. If you stay, you'll be expelled, or worse."

I shook my head. "Who knows what'll happen? All that matters is that you save camp."

"We arent leaving you," Percy said.

"You don't have a choice, I'm afraid." I put on a brave face. "I'll be fine, Percy."

He looked like he wanted to argue, but said, "We'll find you. I promise, when this is done, we'll find you."

"I believe you."

Annabeth ran to me, a tear running down her cheek. She wrapped me in a hug and whispered, "Be safe."

I hugged her back. "I will, I promise." She climbed back onto her hippocampus and wiped a tear from her face.

I turned to the cyclops. "Take care of 'em for me, will you, big guy?"

He nodded. "I will," the cyclops—Tyson, his name is Tyson—said.

I turned to percy. "You'd better go."

He offered me a hand. "Take care of yourself."

I gripped his hand and shook it. "I will, my friend."

"Giddyup!" Percy said. His hippocampus turned and plunged into the waves. Annabeth's and Tyson's followed right behind.

Once they were almost completely out of sight, I turned and walked toward the harpies.

-o-

"Where did they go!" Tantalus demanded.

We were in a small room with a table and two chairs, each on opposite ends, facing each other. The harpies had dragged me to Tantalus, asking permission to eat me. When he realized Percy, Annabeth and the cyclops were gone too, he dragged me to this little room and began interrogating me.

"Went to grab a pizza," I said. "If you're interested, I'm sure you can still catch them."

He sniffed and slammed his hands down on the table. "I ought to have Dionysus turn you into a dolphin."

I shrugged, unafraid. "Go ahead, Tantalus, you don't scare me."

He sniffed. "She told me you would be difficult."

I leaned forward, interested. "She? She who?"

He waved his hand. "It matters not. Where are they?"

I crossed my arms. "Kiss my butt and I'll consider telling you."

He scowled. "They'll never reach the Sea of Monsters, you idiot. Tell me where they are and I'll consider letting them live."

"Whatever, King Cannibal."

He reached forward and grabbed me by the shirt collar. "Tell me where they are!"

I spit in his face.

He shrieked and released me. "You little brat! I'll tear your heart out!"

"Come on, then, I'm right here."

He wiped his face with the back of his arm and rose to his full height. "No, no, I know how to deal with you." He smiled. "I told you and your friends what will happen if you cross me. As camp director, I have free reign over all of you."

A pit formed in the bottom of my stomach. "No."

"Oh, yes. I hereby expel you from Camp Half-Blood, never to return. If you do, I'll kill you and eat your heart." He smiled. "Have a nice life!"

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading. Please leave lots of reviews.

Real quick—can Tantalus die? By that I mean is he a ghost or is he living, because I'm not entirely sure. I only ask because it will come into play later in this story.

Bye!


	17. Chapter 17

**The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Seventeen: Leaving Home**

Somehow I managed to stumble back to the Hermes cabin, mind racing _. I hereby expel you from Camp Half-Blood, never to return._ The words reverberated in my mind, blocking out any other thought… _never to return…_ It didn't seem real.

I balled up a piece of my shirt collar and bit it, stifling a sudden sob. Where could I go? Apollo hadn't completed rebuilding the cabin, as far as I knew, so I couldn't go there, and there were no other camps for demigods.

My vision was blurry from the tears, and I buried my face in my pillow as another sob came, then another, then another, until I was fully crying into my pillow.

 _You have until eight o'clock to leave, then I'll have Dionysus turn you into a dolphin,_ Tantalus had warned. If I had had my senses at the time I would have wrapped my hands around his throat and choked him until his skin turned black.

 _I have to pack,_ I thought, trying to clear my thoughts, but then more tears came. _I have nowhere to go. This is the only place I have left. Now…_

"Hunter?"

The lights came on, and I saw that most of the Hermes cabin was looking at me; those that weren't were beginning to wake up, no doubt thanks to the sudden lights.

"Oh, hey guys," I said, wiping my eyes with an arm and moving to a sitting position. "What's up?"

"You're crying," said Connor Stoll, standing by the light switch.

"Oh, I, uh, had a bad dream. Go back to sleep."

"Hunter," said Angela, a girl with nut-brown skin and straight hair, as she climbed out of bed, "what's wrong?"

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

"No, you aren't," said Mikey, a big kid with a round face.

"You can tell us what's wrong," Caroline said. She had dimples across her cheeks and dark brown eyes. She was a daughter of Nemesis, but she had to stay here since none of the minor gods had cabins.

"Yeah, we promise we won't judge." Travis walked over to my sleeping bag and knelt down. "What's wrong?"

I took a deep breath, throat quivering as another set of tears threatened to spill. "Percy and Annabeth left to go find Grover. They took the cyclopes with them. I didn't go with them, but I helped them leave. Tantalus found out and he…he…"

"Take a deep breath, buddy. Just say it."

"…I've been kicked out of camp."

There was a moment of silence, then all Hades broke loose. Suddenly the Hermes cabin was drowned in shouts and yells as everyone tried to be heard over the others.

"That's crazy!" someone yelled.

"Tantalus can't do this!" said another.

"Where will you go?"

"I don't know," I said. "I've got nowhere else to go."

There was more shouting until Connor said, "Alright, alright, settle down." He turned to me. "We'll talk to Tantalus, Hunter. We'll get him to lighten up."

I scoffed. "How? Dude's a prick; even if he does let me stay he'll make my life absolutely miserable."

"So what, you're just gonna live on the streets?"

 _I could probably call Apollo,_ I thought. _He'd probably give me a place to crash till Percy and Annabeth get back._ "I'll think of something." Everyone exchanged concerned looks, looking ready to argue, but then I said, "He'll likely treat you guys bad too if you try and help me. Just let me go. I'll be fine," and they gave up.

"What can we do?" asked Myranda, a plump girl with thick hair.

"I need to be gone by the time breakfast starts—I'd appreciate it if you guys could help me pack and return anything you stole from me."

An hour later I had all my bags (more like bags) packed up, and all of my stolen property had been returned with sheepish apologies. I told them it was fine and even managed to smile, though I could hardly breathe.

As the cabin got ready to head to breakfast I slung my pack over my shoulder, put my knives at my waist and gave the place one final look. As gross and chaotic as it had been, I would miss it dearly. Everyone stepped up to give me a long hug, even the kids I barely knew, and said that they would miss me. I responded in kind.

I walked around the edge of the dining area, careful not to catch a glimpse of Tantalus. Just as I was climbing Thalia's hill, I heard someone yell, "Hunter, wait!"

I turned to see Will Solace and Lee Fletcher running toward me in their nightclothes. I turned, smiling, grateful to see them one last time before I left. "Hey, guys."

"Jess said you're leaving." Jess was a blonde girl with blue eyes; guaranteed to be an Apollo kid. We had all just been waiting for Apollo to claim her.

I nodded. "I don't have a choice."

"That's insanity," Will said, fuming. "It's Tantalus's fault that Percy and Annabeth left, you shouldn't have to suffer for it."

"We could do something," Lee offered. "Try and get Tantalus to let you stay."

"No. If you do that, he'll probably single you guys out and make your lives that much harder."

"So what?" Will demanded. "We'll deal with him if we have to, but you shouldn't be forced to leave. It's not right."

"Maybe not, but I don't have a choice. Mr. D'll turn me into a dolphin if I stick around." I managed a cocky smile. "'Sides, I can handle being on my own."

Lee didn't look convinced. "Even so, you should take this"—he held out a small pouch—"with you."

I took it and looked inside. "What is it?"

"About two hundred dollars in mortal cash, fifty drachmas, and enough nectar and ambrosia for the entire Olympian Council."

I looked up, surprised. "You guys—I can't take this."

"Yes, you can," Will said. "You're gonna need it."

"But—"

"We have enough to spare. Trust me, we'll be fine." He gave a small smile. "The bag is magic. You should be able to hide just about anything in there, and when you reach in all you have to do is think about what you want to take out and it'll be there."

I smiled, tears brimming in my eyes. "Thanks, you guys."

They smiled back and pulled me into a tight hug. "Good luck," Will whispered as we drew apart. I gave them one last wave before they turned and went back to the dining pavilion.

When I reached the top of the hill I put a hand on Thalia's tree and whispered, "Goodbye."

As I left the camp, I felt a tingle down my spine as I stepped out of the protective bubble Thalia's tree provided. I took one last look over my shoulder at the place I would likely never see again, and continued walking.

-o-

Clouds were beginning to form in the sky, so I couldn't be sure what time it was, but I guessed it to be just shy of midday. I was following the little dirt road that would eventually lead to a small backroad, which would lead to a highway. From there I'd walk to Manhattan, because I recalled Apollo mentioning he kept a safehouse there in some hotel. I would've gone straight to Olympus, but I got the feeling I wouldn't be let up.

I was making good time; I had placed my larger suitcase in the small bag Will had given me, and I had that tied around my waist, so I wasn't lugging around twenty pounds of clothes. In fact, I was jogging lightly down the road, keeping my eyes peeled for any monsters that might want to have a crack at me.

 _WHOOF! WHOOF!_

I turned and saw a freight train chugging down the tracks that were just past the tree line to my right. _Well, that's convenient._ There was an open box car five cars down, so I could probably make it if I timed it just right.

 _Okay, let's do this._ I broke into a run as I angled myself toward where the open car would be in a few moments. _Come on, come on,_ I told myself in an attempt to motivate my legs to go faster. A small hill poked up from the ground, and I wasted no time in pushing off from that, landing with both feet just inside the car.

Suddenly I saw something rushing toward me, and I used my momentum to roll under what I assumed was something metal, based on the sound it made as it hit the side of the car. I rolled again and tangled my legs in my attacker's, bringing him to the ground with a thud. I wound my leg back to kick the person out of the car when I heard someone yell and raise something above my head.

I rolled left, then swept their leg out from under them, causing them to stagger. I reached up and grabbed whatever they planned to use to smash my face in, wrenching it from their grip. Then I grabbed the person and pushed them onto the ground before straddling them and putting one of my knives to their jugular.

The other person had risen to their feet by now, but I prevented them from attacking when I said, "Not another step," and pushed my knife deeper into my captive's throat. My attacker—a boy with brown hair cut into a military-style buzz-cut and brown eyes—glared at me and tightened his grip on his weapon—a golf club.

I looked down and found myself staring at a very pretty young lady with brown hair and fiery-red eyes. She was dressed in a black coat and a red blouse. When I saw that my knife didn't pass through her, I raised an eyebrow and said, " _Demigod?"_

Her face tightened. " _What are you talking about?_ "

I smiled. _Trapped._ "My apologies," I said in mock sincerity, "I must have been mistaken. Although, I don't know many teenagers who can speak and understand Ancient Greek fluently."

She paled, and I heard her companion swear under his breath. I smiled and moved off of her slowly, arms raised. "Hey, chill, I'm one of you guys."

"And how do we know you aren't a monster trying to get the drop on us?" the boy said. He was dressed in a green T-shirt and camo pants. _Does the military take in minors?_

"Because if I wanted to kill you, I'd have already done it." When they didn't look convinced I sighed. "Fine. Look." I pricked my thumb and showed them my red blood. "See? Not dust."

The boy glanced at the girl, who nodded, and got back up.

"I'm Hunter," I said, sucking on my finger to stop the bleeding.

"Melony," the girl said. She indicated to the boy. "This is Jason."

"Jay," he corrected. "People call me Jay."

"Nice to meet you." I handed her back her hammer. "That won't do you much good against monsters."

"I know, but there aren't many weapons that _can_ hurt them."

"There are where I'm going."

She gave me a look. "And where _are_ you going?"

"Manhattan."

"…why?"

"There's a stockpile of weapons over there. Since I'm gonna be on my own for a while, I might as well stock up."

She bit her lip. "Can we come?"

"Melony!" the boy hissed.

"What, Jay?" she shot back. "We've got no weapons and a long way to go. We could use some help."

"But we just met this guy, _and_ he tried to kill us."

"Technically, you swung first."

"Shut up."

"Listen," Melony cut in, "we can't last much longer with a gold club and a hammer. We could use whatever help we can get on our way to—" she stopped suddenly.

"To where?" I asked, curious. When nobody answered, I said, "Tell me where you're going, or no weapons."

She sighed. "California," she mumbled. "We're going to California."

"Any particular reason?"

She walked behind some crates and returned with a small duffel back and a plastic container. "To fulfill a promise."

 _Promise?_ I was confused for a moment, but then I took a closer look at her container and realized it was full of ashes. _Oh…_ "That's…nice."

She smiled sadly. "It's what she would have wanted."

Jason walked from behind the crates too, carrying a large shield on his arm.

I whistled. "Nice."

He glanced at it. "Thanks. Gift from my mom." He scowled. "I only brought it for emergencies." He pulled it from his arm and put it on his back.

A long moment of silence filled the train car, so I said, "After California, where will you guys go?"

Melony shook her head. "Dunno. We'd heard there was a safe place for people like us…" She turned to me. "Do you know anything about that?"

I turned to look out the open door at the trees as they rushed by. "There are no safe places."

-o-

It was dark and cloudy over New York, which seemed fitting based on my day. We had ditched the train a little over an hour ago and were walking through the busy streets. I made sure to keep a close eye on Jay and Melony as we walked, just in case they tried anything.

"How much longer until we get there?" Jay asked, frowning.

"Thirty minutes?"

"Does that mean you don't know where we're going?"

"I know where we're going, but if you keep dragging your heels we—"

"Boys," Melony cut in, "enough."

We both scowled but didn't say anything. After some more quiet walking we came upon a large, fancy hotel. A large glass door opened as a finely-dressed couple exited, hand-in-hand. A limousine pulled up to the side and they climbed in, speeding off into the busy New York traffic.

"Uh, Harry?"

"Hunter."

"Hunter. Sorry. Uh, Hunter, where are we?" Melony's eyes scanned the sign above the door, not quite believing what she was seeing.

"The Mark Hotel, Manhattan, New York."

"And we're here because…?"

"…we can get weapons and supplies here."

She looked down at her torn jeans, black jacket, and red shirt and gulped. "Are you sure we can go in?"

"I'm sure if they try and stop us we can have Chuckles here deal with them."

"Did you just call me—"

"Let's go!"

The inside of the hotel was just as classy as the outside, with plenty of fine-dressed men and women walking about. A few of them gave us curious looks, but a few sharp glares had them pretending we didn't exist.

"Come on."

I led the other two over to a finely cut piece of smooth wood. A woman in a pantsuit with honey-gold hair tied back into a ponytail was idly typing something on her computer; when I rang the little bell on the desk she looked up, gave us a strange look, then settled into a smile. "Can I help you?"

"Hello, Hygiega.* Is Apollo here?"

Her smile faded. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do." I pulled a gold drachma from my pouch and put it on the desk.

She reached over slowly and picked it up, fingering it as though to make sure it was real. Apparently satisfied, she put it in her breast pocket and smiled warmly. "I'm sorry, but Lord Apollo isn't in right now. I can leave a message for him, if you like."

"That won't be necessary. We just need access to the penthouse."

Her smile faded again. "Oh, I can't do that."

I pulled out more coins and began to stack them up slowly. "Are you sure? You can't just slip us the keycard and let us be on our way?"

She eyed the coins greedily, lip twitching. Finally she tore her gaze away and looked at me, eyes wide. "I can't," she whispered, eyes darting around. "He isn't in right now."

"Maybe—"

"This is getting ridiculous." Before I could blink Jay shoved past me and pulled Hygiega half-over her desk. She gave a tiny shriek and her eyes widened. "Give us the card or I'll—"

"Jason!" Melony grabbed one of his arms. "What are you doing?"

"Is there a problem here?" One of the security guards was walking over, scowling.

"Jay, let her go," Melony advised.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Just…take it easy."

He glared at me before letting her go. She put a hand on her heart and breathed.

"You want me to get rid of 'em?" asked the security guard.

Hygiega shook her head. "No thanks, Marv, I got it."

He nodded. "You need anything, just call."

"I will."

He stalked off, glaring. Melony grabbed Jason by the ear and dragged him away, no doubt to lecture him on his recklessness.

I turned back to Hygiega. "I am _so_ sorry about him. Are you alright?"

She shrugged. "Trust me, he's far from the worst people we get in here."

"Look, all we need is a few minutes." Just then thunder crashed above us and it began to pour. I laughed nervously. "Or…maybe a few hours. Slip us the keycard and we'll be on our way. You can just pretend that we didn't exist."

She bit her lip nervously. "What if he comes while you're here?"

"I'll talk to him."

She reached into her pocket and handed me a gold card that read "VIP Member." I put it in my pocket. "Thanks."

"Mm-hmm. Just…try not to trash it, please."

"I promise."

"Anything else?"

I bit my lip. "Actually, yeah. Can you leave Apollo a message for me, please?"

She pulled out a notepad and a pen. "Okay; what should it say."

"Just…tell him that Hunter needs his help."

-o-

"Woah," we all said, eyes wide.

The penthouse suite was a five-bedroom apartment with a fully-stocked fridge, lounge, and kitchen. A large window provided an excellent view of the Manhattan skyline, though the rain was falling so hard all I could see were blurry outlines. The furniture was white and very expensive-looking.

"Okay, first rule: nobody touch anything."

"How'd you know about this, and about the lady up front?" Melony asked.

"Apollo told me he rents the penthouse year-round."

"Apollo?"

"God of the sun, prophecy, and archery."

"And you know him?" asked Jay, moving to the window.

 _Shoot._ "Uh, yeah…we're friends."

He looked like he wanted to ask something, but Melony said, "So what are we here for?"

I turned to her. "A place to sleep. We won't be able to stay for more than a day, but we can crash here tonight." I began to walk down a long hallway filled with doors. "Apollo mentioned an armory that he kept here." I moved down the hallway, opening each of the doors in turn, until…

"Ah-ha!"

Melony and Jay came over, interested. "Woah."

The armory was a large room with weapons hung on the walls: swords, maces, axes, warhammers, you name it. A set of gilded armor stood proudly in a corner. If I had a marker on me I would've written "Kick me" on the back.

"So, we can just take whatever we want?"

"Mm-hmm."

Melony pulled a golden sword off the wall. "What if Apollo gets mad?"

"Then I'll deal with him."

"Okay." She swung the sword around, testing it. When she ran her hand along the blade, it caught fire. She yelped and dropped it. The flames went out as soon as the blade left her hand.

"How'd you do that?" I asked.

"I-I don't know." She reached down and picked it back up slowly, but no flames appeared this time.

Across the room Jay was holding a spear with both hands.

"You're supposed to use one hand for that."

"What?"

I pointed. "Use one hand. The shaft's too short for two hands. One hand holds the spear, another holds a shield."

He pulled his shield from his back and put it on his arm. "Like this?"

"Yep. Why don't you grab a knife or something; spear won't do you much in close-quarters. You too, Mel."

"Mel?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

"Sorry, if you prefer—"

"Mel is fine." She looked at the weapons and pulled a short knife from the wall.

"Put everything in here." I held open my pouch. "It'll be easier if we aren't carrying weapons in the middle of crowded places."

Melony laughed. "Good idea." She and Jay put their weapons in the bag, and I grabbed a longspear and sword as well.

"Hey, come take a look at this," Melony said. She was standing in front of a large glass trophy case. Inside were all manner of valuable artifacts: a signed copy of the Beatles' _Sgt. Pepper's Lonely-Hearts Club Band_ album, a first-edition draft of Romeo and Juliet, the Declaration of Independence, a picture of a younger Apollo with Led Zeppelin, and a dozen other pieces of memorabilia. What caught my attention was the black gauntlet in a side display.

"What is it?" Mel asked.

"I don't know." I looked at them. "Can one of you get this open?" Jay's hand shot out, and the glass around the case shattered. "Holy crap," I said, looking alarmed. "Are you alright?"

He shrugged and flexed his fingers. "I'm fine."

 _What is up with this guy?_ I reached in and took hold of the gauntlet. It was cool to the touch, and I could see silvery whirls faintly running across the surface. My eyes widened.

"What is it?" Melony asked.

"Stygian iron," I said.

"Is that good?"

"It's very good." I stuck my hand in it. The metal was a little too big for me now, though I'd probably grown into it within a few years. "Stygian iron is the rarest magical metal known to us. It's exclusive to the Underworld, so it must've cost a fortune for Lord Hades to gift it to Apollo."

"So…what do we do?"

I looked down at it and flexed my fingers. "I'm keeping this."

We found Apollo's stash of credit cards in the master bedroom. I gave one to both of them. "Isnt this bad?" Melony asked, looking at the golden card as though it were a bomb.

"I doubt it," I said. "The gods are loaded; if we spent a billion dollars tomorrow it probably wouldn't make a dent in Apollo's funds."

They nodded. "So…what do we do with them?"

I gave them a sly smile. "We order some food."

Once we had spent a small fortune on hotel food, we all went to bed. Jay and Mel took some of the side rooms while I crashed in Apollo's master bedroom. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was out like a light.

* * *

* Hygiega is the daughter of Asclepius and the goddess of good health, cleanliness, and hygiene. She's mentioned briefly in the Blood of Olympus by her father when he meets with Leo, Jason, and Piper.

A/N: Thanks for reading, please leave a review telling me what you thought.


	18. Chapter 18

**The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Eighteen: Trouble on the Freeway**

I was standing in the middle of a forest as the moon rose to the middle of the sky. In the branches above me, crows cawed and screamed into the night.

"You must come down," said a voice. Whirling, I saw a boy with nut-brown hair, pale skin, and green eyes dressed in fur and hunting leathers sitting atop the back of a giant deer.

"You," I said.

"You must find me. Only together can we aid you. The mistress of nature calls to you; do not keep her waiting."

"Wait, what do you—"

"Find us below the earth." He pointed, and a cave appeared before us. He and his mount walked through the opening, into darkness.

"Wait!" I called. "Don't go!"

The ground opened up beneath me, and the shadows consumed me.

-o-

I felt soft fingers running through my hair, and someone humming softly. I sighed and nuzzled deeper into my pillow. I was warm, it was quiet, and I couldn't think of a reason to get up. Hopefully Apollo would be making pancakes this—

Wait.

It all came back to me suddenly—the cabin was destroyed, Apollo wasn't here, Camp Half-Blood had forced me out, Percy and Annabeth were gone, and…

…whose fingers are those?

I threw myself out of bed as though it had suddenly caught fire, landing on the floor with a loud _thud_. A tiny laughter filled the room. "My, my, someone's in a rush to start the day."

I opened my eyes slowly, afraid the speaker would be who I thought it would be. Sure enough, Niobe was sitting on my bed, one leg resting on the other as she watched me, smiling. She was dressed in a white sundress with her blonde hair tied into a ponytail that ran down her back. "Good morning, sweetness."

I pushed myself back onto the wall, breathing heavily. "How are you here?"

She waved her hand. "Relax, honey, I'm not really here. This is just a mist-form—an especially attractive one, if I do say so myself—but not really me."

"What do you want?"

"To check up on you. Losing one's home can be a very traumatic and saddening experience; trust me, I know."

I frowned, swallowing a lump in my throat. "How do you know about that?"

She laughed. "Oh, sweetness, I know all about it. After all, I helped arrange it."

I blinked, unsure. "What?"

"I arranged for you to be expelled from that dreadful camp. It wasn't going to happen immediately, but we got lucky."

"You're lying. Tantalus wouldn't—"

"—help me? Are you sure about that? After all, I have had him wrapped around my finger since I was a child."

"What are you—"

She sighed. "Apollo never taught you the finer details of mythology, did he? Child, Tantalus is my father."*

I could only gape at her, mouth closing and opening again. She leaned forward and closed it for me. "Don't gawk, child, or else bugs will fly into your mouth and lay eggs."

"No way."

"About the bugs? While I've nev—"

"You can't be Tantalus's daughter! The gods would—"

Se scoffed. "You think those fools care about us? The moment my father died, they left us all on our own. Sure, they took my brother Pelops with them to Olympus, but then they abandoned him again due to our father's reputation. We grew up on the streets, until Pelops became king of Pisa and I became queen of Thebes after I married my husband Amphion, but it didn't last. Pelops was killed by his son, and I…well, you know that story. In the end, the gods cared nothing for us, just as they care nothing for you."

"That's a lie," I said, scowling. "The gods do care for me."

"Oh? Really, I must have been mistaken. See, I was under the impression that Apollo and Artemis were _ignoring_ you, but I must be wrong. How are they, by the way?"

I swallowed, unable to look her in the eyes. She lifted my chin with a finger. "My dear, I'm not trying to hurt you; I'm trying to make you _see_. Apollo and Artemis think you're worthless, why else would they ignore you? To keep you safe? Ha! If they wanted to keep you safe they would've rebuilt your home immediately, not send you to a summer camp where your talents are wasted. Join me, and we can show the gods that you _are_ worth something. We'll make them pay for crossing us!"

I glared at her. "I'll never join you, Niobe. Now get out."

She sighed. "Very well, but you will join me, dear one, just you wait." She dissolved like mist, leaving me alone in my room.

I got myself dressed quickly, throwing on combat boots, dark jeans, a T-shirt, and a leather jacket. Apollo had a dozen Rolex watches that had built-in shields, so I grabbed a silver one and threw it on.

I found Jay and Melony in the dining room, eating eggs. When they saw me, Mel waved me over. "Hey!" she said, smiling. "You want some eggs?"

I managed a smile. "Sure. But we'll need to make it quick; we need to get going."

-o-

We found a small bus stop a mile away from the hotel, and bought three tickets to Washington D.C., the farthest place the bus company could send us. We waited for three hours for the bus to arrive, so we didn't leave until a few minutes past noon. A few other people were joining us—an old woman, a guy with a face tattoo, and a few other people. We chose a few seats in the very back, keeping our weapons close.

As the bus began to turn into traffic, Mel leaned back and pulled her hood over her head. Her eyes were closed, but I doubted she was asleep; her breathing wasn't even and her eyes would flutter somewhat every time we came to a stop or hit a bump. Jason was busy glaring up the aisle, careful of everyone else on the bus. I, sitting in the middle, could do little more than stare past Mel's head out the window.

We passed through a long tunnel and onto the freeway, with trees on either side. The drive was going to take a few hours, and I wasn't willing to sleep—both Niobe and the fur boy made me too nervous for sleep—so I resigned myself to a few hours of boredom…

…until I noticed a hooded person not-so-subtly moving toward the back of the bus. They were moving slowly; inching back by one row every few minutes, but nonetheless coming toward us. When he was a few rows ahead of us, I nudged Jay's leg. When he looked over, I made the "watch" gesture at him, and he mouthed "Monster?" I shrugged in an _I-have-no-idea-just-keep-an-eye-out_ way. He nodded and locked his eyes on the figure.

I elbowed Melony. Her eyes opened and she looked at me, eyebrows raised. I pointed at the person, who had moved up another row, and she seemed to understand, red eyes widening.

"What do we do?" she whispered.

"I don't know," I said back. "If he tries anything, be ready, but act normal."

She nodded and went back to looking out the window, though she kept looking at him out of the corner of her eyes.

Suddenly he was in the row in front of us, leaning against the seats. "Hey."

I swallowed. "Hello."

"Where you kids headed?" His eyes darted over all of us.

"Washington," I said.

"Such a long way all by yourselves. Maybe I should stick around, 'case you guys get lost."

I laughed, but there was an edge to it. "Thanks, but we got it. We're meeting our parents at the station."

"No parents? What happened?"

"We were separated," Mel interjected. "My idiot brother here"—she jabbed me with an elbow—"lost his ticket, so we stayed behind so he could get on the next bus and wouldn't be alone. He's nervous about being by himself."

"Yeah," Jay said. "Poor kid's never been one for solitude; practically begged us to stay with him."

"Right," I said through gritted teeth. "I begged."

The guy whistled. "You're a lucky kid, having siblings that're so nice."

"Yep, I'm real lucky."

He licked his lips. "It's gonna be a long ride; why don't you guys get off with me and I'll drive you the rest of the way. I know a great side-route."

"Thanks," Mel said, "but we'll manage."

He moved quickly, grabbing her by the collar and pulling her up. His hood had fallen down, and I could see two large horns sticking up through his hair. _A satyr?_

Jason rose first, but the satyr knocked him aside with his hand. He fell back into the aisle. At the front of the bus, the driver yelled, "Will you kids knock it off!"

"You're comin' with me," the satyr said, smiling through yellow teeth.

" _Leave me alone!_ " Mel yelled, and then her whole body was on fire, glowing orange and white. The satyr screamed and released her, his skin smoking and charred. The whole bus swerved as people screamed, and suddenly Mel was back to normal, her clothes still intact; her face was pale, though. Something hit the bus from the side, and we rolled once, twice, thrice, before falling on its side and sliding out of the road, onto a small patch of grass. People were groaning and screaming, "Fire!" as they tried to get out.

"Mel!" Jay screamed, and then he was helping her up as she groaned.

"We have to go," I said, grabbing our bag.

"Here," Mel said, voice soft. She pressed her hand to the bus's roof, which was now a wall, seeing as the bus was on its side, and the metal began to bubble and melt.

"You can control fire," I said.

"Gee," she muttered, "what gave you that idea?" By now there was enough of a hole that we could climb out one at a time, so Melony eased her way through. Jay went next, then I wiggled through, onto the grassy side of the road.

The passengers had broken through an emergency window and were climbing out. A few of the ones that had already escaped were vomiting on the grass or laying down.

"Come on!" I said, rushing toward the tree line, Jay on my heels.

"Wait," Mel rasped. She was hunched over, breathing had. "Tired…too much work…"

Just then someone yelled, "Stop!" and pointed at us. We grabbed Mel, put her arms over our shoulders, and carried-slash-dragged her into the trees.

-o-

"Can we please stop now?"

I looked behind me. Melony was looking faint, with bags under her eyes and sweat beading down her brow. "We can go a little further."

"No, we can't," Jay remarked, frowning. _Does he ever smile?_ "Mel's gonna drop any second now, and it's pitch black out; we can't see anything."

I scoffed. "I can see just fine."

"We aren't you."

I turned, glaring. "I could tell. If you were, we would've been far away from here by now, but no, I'm stuck dragging you two behind me like a bunch of dead weight."

He tightened his fist. "You little—"

" _Boys!_ " Mel shouted. "Stop yelling!" She hugged herself. "Can we please stop? I don't feel so good."

Now that she mentioned it, she _did_ look a little sickly. I sighed and said, "Fine. We stop for tonight, but we need to move again at dawn. Monsters will be coming for us soon."

She nodded. "That's fine. I just need to sit down for a little."

We made camp in a small area where the trees opened up to let us see the night sky. The moon was orange and full, and the stars twinkled like diamonds in the sky. Suddenly I was reminded of a nursery rhyme I used to hear when I was younger. _Up above the world so bright, like a diamond in the night._ Leto had sung that to me when I was having trouble falling asleep. Back when things were so much simpler.

"I'm gonna go grab some firewood," I said. "Can you set up the tent?"

Jay nodded. "You just rest," he told Melony. She nodded and sat down, arms wrapped around herself.

I set about picking up sticks from the ground, and when necessary, climbing up trees to rip the branches from them.

I had just climbed down from a tree when Jay came through the trees, glaring. "Anything wrong, Chuckles?" I asked.

"I don't like you," he said after a minute. "We were doing fine on our own, we don't need help."

"Then feel free to be on your way."

He scowled. "Look, Mel and I have a good thing going; if you try anything…"

"…you'll kill me?"

"If that is what it takes." He crossed his arms. "You've seen how I fight. You honestly think you can stand against me?"

Just as he was walking away, I called back, "Don't forget—you lost that fight."

Melony and Jay had already gotten the tent up, and I was impressed. Mel was sitting in front of a circle of stones; I dumped a few of the sticks in my arms in the middle, and put the rest off to the sides. Mel held out her hands and the sticks caught flames.

Jay let out a loud yawn, though he tried to stifle it best he could. Melony laughed and waved at the tent. "You get some rest, Jay. I'm fine keeping Hunter company."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"Sweet dreams, pumpkin," I said, smiling. He glared at me.

Melony sighed. "We'll wake you when it's time for your watch. I promise."

He didn't look happy about it, then his shoulders relaxed and he managed a nod. "Goodnight, Mel."

"'Night."

Once he was gone, she said, "You shouldn't be so mean."

"Mean? I'm not mean."

"'Sweet dreams, pumpkin'? You don't think that was a little mean?"

I shrugged. "Not really. Besides, he's mean to me."

"Because you attacked us."

" _You_ attacked _me_."

She shook her head. "Because we haven't had an easy time, Hunter. Monsters attacked us before we met each other. Back when we were…"

"…were…?"

"…on our own."

"What happened; before, I mean?"

She nodded at the tent. "Jay's dad…wasn't a good guy. I don't feel comfortable talking about it behind his back, so you'll have to ask him about it."

 _Wonderful_. "And you?"

She stared at the flames for a long time, like she was seeing something unpleasant. "I grew up in an orphanage. There was one person in charge, and twenty-some-odd kids, all between the ages of four and seventeen."

I winced. "Sounds rough."

She nodded. "It was. Only a few kids stuck around more than a year or so; little kids got taken quicker, but nobody wanted me."

"Why not?"

She shrugged. "Couldn't say. Well, actually, I can. I was a bad person, Hunter."

I cocked my head. "You? No way."

She smiled. "Oh, yeah. I got taken in by foster parents every one in a while, but they always sent me back within a few months."

"Why?" I asked, but then I realized how stupid it sounded.

She held up her hand and it caught fire. "Guess."

I swallowed. "How long have you…you know."

She sighed. "All my life. It was really bad when I was little. The woman in charge, Mrs. Carmody, said my swaddling clothes caught fire once. I couldn't control it back then, so I caught almost everything on fire. When people saw how pyro-active I was, they dumped me back at the orphanage."

"And can you control them now?"

She held out her hand and closed it into a fist. "Sometimes. If I concentrate really hard, I can make it appear at will, but if I get too excited or scared…" She took a deep breath. "I was sure I would grow up in the foster care system, till Ms. Lockhart came."

"Who?"

Melony reached into her jacket and pulled out the ash container. "This is Ms. Lockhart."

"Oh." I swallowed. "Did monsters…?"

She laughed, but it sounded shaky. "No. Lung cancer. Ms. Lockhart liked to smoke. We used to make a joke about it. She'd say, 'Where were you ten years ago?' and then would say, 'Getting a living torch after giving up smoking'—she'd shake her head and sigh—'now I _know_ the universe hates me.'" She laughed and wiped away a tear. "She was ten years clean, Hunter. Do you know how hard that is?"

I shook my head. "No."

"She said it was like giving up air or water—impossibly hard, and always tempting." She held the ashes close to her chest. "She was good too, and the first person to treat me normal. The other kids…they avoided me like the plague."

I chewed on my lip. "Where are you going?"

"A little beach outside Los Angeles. That's where Ms. Lockhart met her husband. He died before she met me, and they never had kids, so she made me promise her to take her ashes and spread 'em along that beach when she passed. I swore I would."

I nodded, then sank into sullen silence. Every once in a while, I'd peek over and see Mel staring into the yellow flames, like she was watching a movie or something.

"I can see things, you know."

I looked at her, confused. "Um…that's good."

She punched me in the arm, smiling. "No, idiot, I can see things in the fire."

"Oh." I blinked. "Wait, seriously?"

She nodded. "Sometimes, though it isn't very clear."

"What do you see?"

"Not much," she confessed. "It only happens once in a long while, and I usually forget what I see, though there are a few I remember."

"And they are?"

"There's a tall blonde boy with golden eyes holding a scythe in a room of collapsed thrones. An old woman is sitting in a throne made of bark with roots and plants growing out of her. I see a young woman holding up the ceiling of a great temple while a general looks on in satisfaction." She shrugged. "I couldn't tell you what any of them mean, and they're probably nothing."

"Yeah." Something about what she said didn't make me believe her. "What do you see now?"

She glared at the flames for a long time, then looked up at me, red eyes flickering with orange flame. "I see you. You have a wolf's head on your shoulders, and there are shadows dancing all around you. One made of fire, and another made of moonlight. Two more stand behind them; dark and terrible, one with a woman's figure, and another with headlamps for eyes."

* * *

* In both Greek mythology and the Riordanverse, Niobe is regarded as Tantalus's child. Since the exact timeline of Tantalus's life isn't known, I'm assuming that Niobe was very young—maybe three or four—when Tantalus died.

A/N: What did you guys think? Good? Bad? Let me know. Also, can you guys guess who Mel and Jay's parents are based on what we've seen so far of them? I look forward to seeing if you guys will hazard a guess.

Anyway, I'll see you all next time.

Bye!


	19. Chapter 19

**The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Nineteen: We Meet a New Friend**

"Which way should we go?"

The sun was beginning to rise, and we were in the middle of disassembling the camp when Mel asked the question. In the mad dash to escape the bus we hadn't exactly been paying attention to where we were going or how far, or how long we had walked.

Jay and I exchanged a glance, then Jay cupped his hands over his eyes and looked out at the sun. "The sun rises in the east," he said, turning, "so I say we walk that way."

By "that way" he meant through an expanse of trees and small hills. "What, you want us to just blindly walk in that direction and _hope_ that there's something on the other side?"

He shot me a look. "We don't really have much choice, unless you want to backtrack toward the highway. Look, we're bound to come across _someone_ eventually, so why not?"

"I agree with Jay," Mel said. "We can at least give it a try."

I was outvoted, so I nodded and said, "Alright, we'll do it your way."

We spent the rest of the morning hiking through the trees, careful for signs of attack. "So Hunter," Mel asked, "where are you from?"

I frowned. "New York. Why?"

She shrugged. "Just asking. What part of New York?"

"A forest a few miles outside of Manhattan."

Jay gave me a look. "You used to live in a forest?"

"Mm-hmm. What about you, Hasselhoff? Where are you from?"

He scowled, but said, "New Jersey. Why'd you leave?"

"No choice. Monsters attacked my home, and Apollo sent me to—" I stopped myself.

Jason stopped, whirled around, and asked, "Sent you _where_?" Mel gave me a puzzled look too.

"Camp Half-Blood," I said. "It's a place for people like us."

"I thought you said there were no places for people like us."

"You lied to us?" Mel asked.

I held my hands up. "Let me explain. I can't get into it all right now, but have you heard of the Titans? No? Okay, well, quick lesson in Greek myth. The Titans were a race of beings older than the gods, but they were evil, so Zeus banished them all to Tartarus—basically the supermax prison of the gods. But last year, the Titan Lord Kronos tried to return using one of my—one of my _former_ friends to help him." Even now, the memory of Anna's betrayal still hurt. "He poisoned Thalia's tree—the magical barrier around the camp. Once that's gone…"

They nodded, wondering where this was going. I continued.

"Once Zeus caught wind of this, he fired the camp's director, Chiron, who had been training heroes for millennia, and installed this guy Tantalus as his replacement."

"Is that bad?" asked Jay.

"Very bad. Tantalus was the worst of the worst. He once fed his son to the gods so they would prove who they were."

"That's awful," Mel said.

"Yep. And Zeus thought he would be a good candidate to run a summer camp."

They exchanged a look. "That was stupid."

"Yep," I agreed, as thunder rumbled overhead. "My friend Percy went on a quest to save the camp, but until he gets back there's no way of knowing if the camp is still around."

They exchanged another look. "When _will_ your friend be back?"

I raised my hands. "I have no idea. Quests can be pretty dangerous, and if he doesn't make it back…"

"…there's nowhere for us to go." Mel heaved a sigh. "Alright. For now we need to stay focused. We still going to California?"

"California," Jay agreed.

"California," I said.

She smiled and said, "California."

At midday we stumbled out of the tree line and into someone's backyard. A large white house with several stories loomed over us. There was an above-ground pool and a shed, along with a small swing set. A porch with a grill was attached to the house, accessible by a door. It looked pretty isolated, with no sign of neighbors nearby.

"You think anyone's home?" Mel asked.

"Maybe," Jay said, "though I doubt they'd appreciate a couple of teenagers knocking on their door in the middle of nowhere. There's probably a road out front, so I say we go around and—"

"Wait," I said. I noticed something on the back door.

"What is it?" Mel asked.

"I don't know, just a feeling. Follow me."

The back door had no handle, as it had been torn off by something large with claws. Three long gouges in the wood gave that away. I swung the door open and said, "Get your weapons ready." They nodded and pulled out their sword and spear, respectively. I summoned my bow and nocked and arrow.

"You think it could have been a bear?" Mel asked as we entered the kitchen.

"I doubt it," I said. "Bears wouldn't break down a door unless they were desperate."

"You think everyone's okay?"

A few seconds later we got our answer. A man lay facedown in a puddle of his own blood, hands resting on a rifle. A hole in the wall showed where the bullet had hit. _No blood._ That was how I knew for certain. _Monster._

Mel covered her mouth with her hands to avoid screaming, but her eyes were welling up. Jason looked pale too, and my throat was suddenly tight. Clearly none of us had ever seen a dead body before.

"He's still bleeding," Jay said, voice soft.

"What?" Mel croaked. "What are you—"

"The body is still bleeding," he said, stronger.

My eyes widened in understanding. "The kill's fresh."

He nodded. "Then that means—"

"—the animal could still be here—"

"—and someone could still be alive."

We found the second body on the staircase; a woman with dark hair. Her back had been shredded, and she died screaming. We moved on quickly. The third body was a boy's; he couldn't have been older than us, and his throat had been ripped out by something sharp. Like teeth.

We heard a growl come from a side room, and just a few moments later a large black hellhound stalked out, mouth red. I fired an arrow immediately, but it moved out of the way, then slammed into me, pushing me to the ground.

It tried to bite my neck, but I grabbed its jaw and held it back. Then it was ripped off of me and thrown into the wall so hard pieces fell off. Jay stood over me, offering a hand. I took it and unsheathed my knives. The dog came running, snarling, and we both dove out of the way as it dove at us…

…only to meet the end of Mel's sword. She plunged it down the creature's throat and ripped it out again, turning the beast to dust.

"Good job, Mel," I said.

She swung the sword once, smiling. "This is much better than a hammer! You two alright?"

"Yeah," Jay said, "thanks for—"

The sound of something falling drew our attention to the side room. We all got our weapons ready, prepared for another fight. The side room turned out to be a child's bedroom, with pink walls and stuffed animals piled on a bed with flower blankets. The sound came from the inside of the closet, and we approached slowly.

Jay and Mel took up positions on each side while I stood in front of it, ready to throw open the door. I mouthed _One…Two…Three!_ and threw the doors open. Immediately something rushed at me, but I was able to grab its wrists and pull it down with me as we fell, giving Mel and Jason ample stabbing room.

"Go away!" the thing—which I now saw to be a little girl—wailed, shaking with sobs. "Lea' me alone!" She was struggling, but not very well.

I flipped her over and pinned her under me, holding her wrists gently, but firm enough so she couldn't do any harm. "Calm down," I said. "You two are scaring her, put your weapons away." They did.

I rolled off of her, pulling myself to my feet. The girl was sniffling on the floor, white shirt and brown pants wet with tears.

"What's your name?" Mel asked, using a soothing tone. The little girl blinked tears out of her eyes and said, "Daphne."

"Well, Daphne, you're safe now. I promise. These are my friends, Jason and Hunter." She gestured to us as she talked.

"Is the bad dog gone?"

"It is," Jay said, kneeling in front of her.

"Are my mommy and daddy okay?" Our faces must have given it away, because she curled in on herself and started crying. She couldn't have been more than eight, though she might have been seven.

Jay nudged me and motioned for me to follow him outside. We collected the bodies of her family and brought them into what looked like a guest bedroom. We didn't bother to clean up the blood; it was beginning to dry and would take hours to get out of the carpet. Once that was done we brought the little girl out onto the front lawn, where she sat, crying.

"Daphne," I asked, "do you have any place to go? Friends or family?"

She shook her head miserably. "My parents didn't have any family. They were all I had." Then she was crying again.

"Why don't you come with us?" I asked suddenly.

She looked up, nose runny. Mel was sitting next to her, rubbing small circles into her back. "With you? Where?"

"California." That was Melony

"Why are you going to California?"

I gave Melony a quick look, and she nodded. As she began to explain, Jay took me aside, out of hearing range. "Are you sure brining her along is a good idea?"

"I don't think we have much of a choice."

"We could call the police, leave her with them."

I shook my head. "Jay, she's like us."*

"How can you tell?"

"Think about it—monsters only attack half-bloods. If one of the parents or the brother was the half-blood, the hellhound would have already left; no, it was _looking_ for her, and if we leave her alone, more monsters will come looking for her."

He sighed. "So it's either bring her with us, or leave her alone and hope she doesn't die."

"Basically."

He sighed again. "Alright, but it won't be easy."

"Nothing in our world ever is."

When we walked back, Jay asked, "So how about it, Daphne? You wanna come with us?"

"What about my family?"

"We'll give the police a call and have them make sure they get buried," Mel said.

"Can't I stay here?"

"Not likely," I said. "Daphne, monsters—like the bad dog—are attracted to you. We've dealt with their kind before, and if you stay here there's a chance more will come. Come with us. We can keep you safe." I offered her my hand.

She hesitated for a minute, then took it.

I turned to Jay. "You go call the police. Mel, why don't you go grab some of Daphne's clothes. Maybe one of her stuffed animals, too."

"What are you gonna do?" Jay asked.

"I'm going to stay here and keep Daphne company while you guys are inside." I leaned in and whispered, "I don't want her to see the bodies or the blood."

He nodded. "Good idea. I'll be right back."

"Me too."

They both emerged a few moments later, carrying clothes and toiletries in their hands. We all put them in the bag, Mel pulled Daphne onto her back, and we set off down the dirt road in the direction of civilization.

-o-

The sun was beginning to set, turning the sky into a mirage of purple, pink, and orange light. We had walked mostly in silence, occasionally broken by the occasional sob or sniffle by our newest companion. The dirt road had led to a highway about a mile back, and we were walking down the highway when we saw a large sign up ahead, lit up in bright lights: _Joe's Burgers and Fries._

"Guys?" Mel called softly. "Maybe we should stop for some food; Junior here's getting hungry."

We stopped and looked back at the two. Melony was carrying the little girl on her back, shoulder supporting the little girl's head. Her face was red and puffy, but she wasn't crying anymore. I walked back and put a hand on her shoulder. "How about it, kid? You hungry?"

"Mm-hmm," she said, so soft I almost couldn't hear it.

"Come on, then." I turned to Melony. "I can take her, if you want."

She smiled gratefully and turned so I could better access her. I put my hand on her back and she came without a fight, easily slipping onto my back and wrapping her arms around my neck. I shifted, getting her into a more stable position, before I nodded and we continued on.

The interior of the diner was cozy, with a jukebox in one corner and a bar with stools against one wall. The floor was checkered black and white, and the seats were made of red leather. All in all, it looked like a place that Apollo would love. A few people were sitting in a booth, and one of the waitresses was talking to the chef behind the counter, so nobody noticed us. We chose a corner booth with a window seat, well away from everyone else.

The little girl slid into the booth until she was all but pressing herself against the wall. I slid in next to her, and Mel and Jay sat across from us, respectively. A waitress in a pink apron came over a few seconds later, smiling. "Welcome to Joe's, I'm Katie. How are y'all doing?" Our silence must have been answer enough, because her smile vanished. "You kids alright?"

"Can we just get some menus, please?" Jay asked, and offered a small smile. She hurried off and reappeared a few moments later, giving us regular menus and Daphne a kid's one.

"You guys know what you want to drink?"

I swallowed. "Water, please." I looked at my friends. "Is that alright with you guys?" They nodded. "How about you, Dot?" I asked Daphne.

She looked at me with red eyes and said, "Can I have chocolate milk?"

I smiled, since it was the first thing she had said in hours, and said, "'Course you can." I turned back to the waitress. "Three waters and a chocolate milk, please."

"Sure thing. I'll be right back." She left.

Once she was gone, Mel asked, "What's the plan, now?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, we can't _walk_ to California."

"She's right," Jay said. "It'll take too long and it's nearly impossible now that…" Luckily Daphne was looking out the window, so it was unlikely she was focused enough to hear us.

"I don't know," I said. "Once we're finished here we'll ask for directions to the nearest bus or train station."

"Why not just take a plane."

"I don't think we can," Mel said. "I mean, none of have passports, right? Not to mention it would look kind of strange—four minors getting on a flight to the other side of the country?"

He sighed. "You're right. We're gonna have to stick to trains or buses. It won't be easy, but—shit!" He ducked down, hiding half his face beneath the table.

"Language!" Mel hissed, reaching over and covering Daphne's ears with her hands. "There is a child here."

But he wasn't focused on her; he was watching the front of the diner, where a woman had just appeared. "Get down!"

We all scooted farther down the booth, ready for trouble. "What is it?" Mel whispered. "Hellhound, goat-men, cyclops's?" Daphne let out a whimper and put a hand around me.

I began to edge out of the seat, trying to get a better look, when Jay hissed, "Don't look!" I looked back, incredulous. "What is it, then?"

He ignored me. "Don't make a sound. Maybe if we're lucky she'll—"

"Ahem."

Suddenly the woman was standing over us. She was dressed in a flowing white dress and high-heeled boots with chocolate-brown hair that was tied back in a fishnet braid that ran down her shoulder. Her face was smooth and sharp like the blade of a knife, and her brown eyes seemed to go right through you.

She moved to sit down, and I instinctively moved out of her way, pushing Daphne down the seat. She looked around and sniffed the air, frowning. "I can't believe you'd eat in _this_ kind of place."

"What are you doing here?" Jay growled, teeth gritted together.

Something about the woman set me on edge, and I was about to tell him to be careful when she raised a hand. "It's alright. We've had this sort of spat before."

"Spat? _Spat?_ I told you to stay away from me."

"And I told _you_ that I would not so long as you did nothing foolish. You should have stayed in that military school your father sent you to."

"You mean the one he sent me to to get rid of me?"

She clicked her tongue. "Don't speak rudely of your father, Jason, it's unbecoming."

" _Jay,_ " he corrected. "People call me _Jay._ I don't like _Jason."_

"Why? Because I like it?"

"Yes."

She clicked her tongue again. "You have always been willful." She spared us a glance. "And who are these…companions of yours?"

"They're my friends. And it's none of your concern who they are."

"I'm afraid it is, Jason. Especially if you're in the company of this one." She jabbed a finger at me.

"You know who I am?"

"Indeed I do, my dear. You caused quite the ruckus on Olympus, you and those other two."

"Other two?"

"Yes, the son of Poseidon and daughter of Athena. The three of you retrieved my husband's Master Bolt last year."

I rock formed in my stomach. "You're Hera."

Her eyes twinkled. "So you _do_ know me. Perhaps I was wrong about this one, Jason."

He was gritting his teeth so hard I thought they might break. "What do you want, Mom?"

* * *

* Daphne's brother was from her stepmother's previous marriage. Her father and mother met and married about a year or two after she was born.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. Please leave a review telling me what you thought, and I will see you all next time.

Bye!


	20. Chapter 20

**The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Twenty: We Break In**

" _Mom?_ " I looked from Hera to Jason, then back, then back again. "How—you—what are— _Mom_?"

Hera sighed. "Clearly you aren't a child of Athena, my dear." She turned to her son. "Jason, darling, what are you doing here?"

"Trying to eat," he said, scowling, "so why don't you leave us alone."

"As if I could." She shook her head. "I _refuse_ to allow my son to eat in a hovel like this."

"I don't think it's a hovel," Daphne muttered, looking down at the table.

Her looked over me at her. "I'm sorry, dear, what did you say?"

"It doesn't matter," Jay said, "because you're leaving."

Her mouth twisted downward. "Your father would be ashamed to hear you speaking of your mother so."

"I wasn't aware my father _had_ a sense of shame."

"Do not speak ill of your father, Jason. If you turn out to be half the man he was, it will be a blessing."

"Blessing?" He scoffed. "It's funny that you would defend him, Mother, seeing as it's your fault he's such an asshole."

"Um, Jason," Mel said, "maybe you should—"

"No, she needs to know." He turned his glare on Hera. "He loved you. Loved you more than anything else in the world, and when you dumped me on his doorstep you broke him."

"You know, I could really use a glass of water."

"Just because your life sucks, doesn't mean you have to ruin everyone else's."

"Boy, I sure am hungry. Mrs. Hera, what do you think of the—"

"Dad was miserable. He lost his job, his car, almost lost the house too, though I guess we can thank you for that, for whatever that's worth. He blamed _me_ for _you_ leaving, like I had any choice. You know he used to hit me? Like, a lot. Until I was ten. Ten years of abuse because you got knocked up by your marriage counselor. Isn't that _rich_? Anyway, it didn't stop until I turned the tables on him. Broke his arm in three places, it was easy. I always was freakishly strong. I suppose I can thank you for that."*

"You should be grateful," Hera said. "I only bestowed great strength on one other—"

"You mean Hercules?" Jay broke in. "Yeah, I heard about what you did to him. Some person you are; 'Oh, my husband cheated on me? Well, I guess I need to make my stepson's life absolutely miserable now.' Here's an idea— _talk to Zeus!_ Maybe if you weren't such a shew he wouldn't bang literally anything else!"

Hera's hand swung out and struck Jay right across the face, leaving a red mark on his skin. For a moment nobody moved, but then he laughed bitterly. "Was that supposed to mean something? In terms of parental discipline, that was pretty weak compared to Dad's."

Hera was fuming, her hands shaking on the table. "You will speak to me with more respect," she said softly, almost a whisper, "or you will not speak to me at all."

Jay leaned back on the seat and crossed his arms. Mel sat forward and asked, "Lady Hera, with all due respect, why are you here?"

Hera rose. "I came to help, shocking as that might seem to some of you. There is a trainyard about a mile north of here. A freight engine leaves for Denver in an hour and a half. I suggest you be on it if you want to reach your destination in time."

Mel looked shocked. "How do you—?"

"I see everything, dear. Goodbye." She swept out the door quickly, leaving us alone in the tiny diner.

Just then our waitress came back with our drinks. "Here you go!" she exclaimed as she put them in front of us. "Now, who's hungry?"

-o-

"Are we just going to ignore what just happened? Because I think that needs to be addressed."

Jay sighed and readjusted his grip on the bag. "There's nothing to address."

" _Nothing to address?_ Dude, you're mom's _Hera._ "

"Thank you, Hunter, I wasn't quite sure."

"Don't get sarcastic with me, Jason. We need to have a talk about this."

"I don't think we do."

"Actually…I agree with Hunter," said Melony. Daphne was holding onto her hand, staying quiet. We had told her about our world over dinner, and she seemed to be taking it rather well, though she wasn't saying much. "Maybe we should talk about this."

Jay sighed. "Fine. But we need to keep moving." We did.

"So…when did you find out? About her being your mom, that is."

"A few months ago. Just after I escaped military school. She tried to convince me to go back, but I refused. She insisted I take this"—he held out his shield—"with me, just in case. I tried getting rid of it a few times, but it always comes back."

"How did your parents meet?" That was Mel.

"My dad worked as a marriage counselor. She came in one day, they got to talking, he fell in love, she wanted a pick-me-up, and then I was born. She left after that."

"Did she…"

"…intend for me to be born? I don't think so. My dad always said I was a mistake, so I guess she thought so too."

 _His dad called him a mistake?_ Despite everything, I couldn't help but feel bad for the guy. I mean, sure, we hardly ever agreed on anything, but still, to hear your own dad call you a mistake…It wasn't right. Maybe that's why he never smiles. _If Apollo called you a mistake, how would you feel?_

We found the trainyard a few minutes later, and it was easy to guess which one was ours. (It was the only one in the lot.) We had to wait for two guys to finish checking the load before we could sneak on board the open car, but when we did we only had to wait a few minutes for the train to start moving. Daphne and Mel were asleep after about an hour, so Jay and I were left alone.

He looked pretty down, staring out at the sky. "Hey," I called.

"What?" he asked, turning.

"You know Artemis?"

He raised his eyebrows. "The hunting goddess?"

"Yep. I'm her son."

He blinked. "But isn't she—"

"—sworn off having children? Mm-hmm. I wasn't exactly planned, either, so, now you aren't the only one who is a mistake."

He pressed his lips together. "I guess I'm not. Thanks." He didn't smile, but I saw gratitude in his eyes.

I smiled. "Don't mention it. Especially not to these two." I pointed at Daph and Mel.

He nodded. "You got it. Buddy." I laughed. "Why don't you hit the hay, Hunter? I'm fine being on my own for a little bit."

I yawned and laid back. "Good idea. I'll see you in a few."

"Yeah. See you."

I was asleep in minutes.

-o-

In the dream, I was standing in a tree, but my skin was covered in dark feathers and my mouth and nose jutted out from my body in a dark beak. The moon was rising, and a wolf howled in the distance. Another dark bird fluttered onto the branch beside me and began picking at its feathers. "Watch," it said, voice soft like an old woman's. "Watch, watch, watch."

 _Watch?_ I asked, but my voice came out as a caw. _Watch what?_

"Below."

Indeed, three figures were standing in gaps between the trees below us. I recognized one with her white dress and golden hair, but I didn't know the other two. One of them was tall and muscular, like a stone carver; he wore a large battle-axe on his back. The other one was short, with zigzagging lines across his skin like surgical cuts. One shoulder glittered in the moonlight, like it was made of some sort of fine metal, not skin, and a sword and shield were slung across his back.

 _What are they doing?_

"Watch."

A shadow in the tree line moved, and another figure came out to join them. His hair was greasy and ragged, the color of fireplace soot, topped with a crown of what looked like finger bones. His robes were tattered fur—wolf, rabbit, raccoon, deer, and several others. His frame was lithe and muscular, like a distance runner's. He had pale skin that was pulled tight over his skull. His teeth were sharpened like fangs. His eyes glowed bright red. From the trees, a dozen black wolves emerged, prowling around and growling at Niobe and her companions.

The muscular one put a hand on his axe, but Niobe gestured. "No, Broetas, we are among friends here."

The tall man crossed his arms. "Are you, Niobe? What do you want?"

"I have need of you, Lycaon. I need you to find someone for me."

 _Lycaon?_ I thought. _The first werewolf?_

Lycaon scoffed. "Why should I help you?"

"You're the best tracker in the world, aren't you?" asked the burly man who Niobe had called Broetas.

"I am," said Lycaon. "What of it?"

"If you help us," Niobe said, "we'll make you every rich."

"I have no want for gold, Niobe."

"How about vengeance, then? We're tracking Artemis's son; bring him to me, and you hurt her more than you know. She and her Hunters _did_ recently kill most of your pack, did they not?"

Lycaon's mouth twisted. "Don't be absurd. Artemis has no son."

"Oh, but she does. I should know, I helped make him."

Now he looked confused. "What are you—?"

"Do not concern yourself too much over him. All you need to know is that he is her son, and I want him."

He sniffed, then said, "Alright. What am I up against?"

"He's traveling with three companions—two teenage demigods and one child. They're armed, but I don't think with any silver. Don't let that fool you; they're all powerful in their own right."

He nodded. "Shouldn't be too much of a problem. How do you want him?"

"Unharmed, and unturned, if you can help it. It doesn't matter to me what you do to the other ones, but you are not to kill him, understand?"

"Crystal." He put two fingers into his mouth and whistled, then bounded off on all fours, his dark hounds running after him.

After they were gone, the one with the metal shoulder said, "I don't trust him."

"Nor should you, Pelops," Niobe said. "That's why I'm sending you two after him as well."

The large one scowled. "Why should we? Lycaon's already been hired, so why have us do your dirty work, too?"

"You're right, brother," Niobe said, turning, "I should have thought twice about asking you to undertake such a quest. If you'd like, I can simply return you to the Underworld."

"We'll do it," said Pelops. "Count on us."

"Yeah," said Broetas, "no need to do anything hasty."

Niobe smiled. "Good. Bring him to me, now!"

I shot up, gasping. The other three were already awake, and looking at me. "Are you okay?" Daphne asked.

"Fine," I said. "Just a bad dream."

"Good," said Jay, "because we're here." He threw open the door, letting the sight of the city's expanse fill the gap.

-o-

Denver turned out to be a pretty nice city. The sun was warm as it rose into the sky, and there was nary a cloud to be seen in the sky. We wandered around for a bit, looking around for a bus depot or maybe even a train station, but we didn't see any. After a while Daphne began to get tired, so we decided to set up a small camp under and overpass. Cars honked and drove above us, moving at high speeds to their jobs, homes, schools, etc.

The tent was rolled out and pushed against a support pillar, so nobody could sneak up on us while we slept. There weren't any sticks to ignite a fire, so we decided to forgo digging a firepit. A small river was flowing nearby, giving us a supply of bathing and drinking water (not in that order), should we need it. We pulled out the sleeping bags and put them in the tent.

"So," I said, leaning against a rock, "what's the plan?"

Mel shrugged. "Dunno. But I say we stay here for the rest of the day, since we've been moving a lot lately; we can ask around if there are any train stations nearby, and if it'll take us west."

"I agree," Jay said. "A little rest could do us some good."

 _Not if Lycaon finds us,_ I thought, but I didn't mention that to them. They deserved to relax, if only for a day. "What do you say, Daphne?"

"Me?" she asked, looking surprised.

"No, the other Daphne here."

Mel shot me a look. "You're part of this team now, Daphne, you have a say in what we do."

She bit her lip. Then she nodded. "Mm-hmm. Let's stay. Here. For today."

"Good call, kiddo," Jay said. "I'm gonna go take a nap," he said, opening the tent flap and flopping down on his bedroll. He was asleep in a few minutes. Mel was laying back with her eyes closed, resting her head on her hands. Daphne was sitting with her legs crossed, staring at the water.

"Hey," I said, sitting next to her.

"Hi," she said, keeping her eyes down.

"How are you doing?"

"Mm-mm."

I sighed. "Look, I know this cant be easy for you; learning about our world, losing your family like that…it can put a strain on you. If you want to talk, we're here."

She managed a small smile. "Thanks. I'll do that. Talk to you. I mean."

I smiled. "Good."

"What's that?" she asked, pointing. She was pointing at a concrete wall beneath the overpass.

"What's what?" I asked, confused. There was nothing there, just concrete and a bit of moss.

"The rock. It's…twinkly."

I looked back at the wall, certain she was seeing things, but then I saw it too. The concrete had a shimmer of silver down the face of it, like it shivered. "What in Hades…?" I drew my daggers. "Mel."

"Hmm?" came the reply.

"Come over here."

"Why?"

" _Now._ "

That got her attention. She sat up, eyes alert, and put a hand on her sword. "What's wrong?"

"Just come here, please. Daphne, wake up Jason, but stay here."

"But—"

"Just do as I say."

She scurried off, and Mel came over, hand gripping the hilt of her sword. "What is it?"

"The wall." I pointed. "There's something magic about it."

"Magic?"

"Enchanted."

"You think there are monsters?"

"Maybe, but I can't be sure. That's why you're here. Come on."

The rock seemed to ripple as we got closer, like there was something trying to get out. "It's mist," I said, putting my hand on it. It felt cool, and not like rock, but like _metal._

"What?"

"Mist," I repeated. "It's what keeps mortals from finding out about monsters."

"Huh. I always did wonder about that. What do we do?"

"Give me a second." Apollo had taught me how to manipulate the mist a little bit, but I wondered how I could _disperse_ it. I put my hand on the brick and thought about there being no wall, just the metal I felt. The shroud fell away like a curtain.

"How'd you do that?" Mel asked.

"It wasn't hard," I said. There was a metal door with a large knob, almost like a fallout shelter. "It must just be in place to keep mortals away. I could show you how to do it, if you wanted."

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Later," she said. "Let's figure out what this is, first." She ran a hand along her blade, and it caught fire.

"Try not to ignite this time," I said. She jabbed me in the ribs.

The door opened to a staircase that led down. We followed it, and I replaced my knives with my bow, notching an arrow in case something happened. Mel went ahead of me, her sword lighting up the stairs that led down to a hallway, which led to another door. Mel pushed that one open, and it led to a sort of living room with a couch, TVs, and several doors that led to several other rooms.

"What is this place?" she asked.

"I think it's a bunker," I supplied.

"For what, though?"

"I couldn't say. Go get Daphne and Jay and bring them down here. I'll see if there's anything of value."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded. "I'll be fine." I smiled. "It's me, remember."

It turned out, there was quite a bit of value in the bunker. I saw a bedroom with twenty bunkbeds, a five-star kitchen with enough burners to make a meal for Camp Half-Blood and most of New York, three massive refrigerators, and cabinets full of non-perishables.

In another room was what looked like a training area, with targets for bows and arrows, dummies for sword-fighting, and racks of armor designed for what looked like small girls. Daphne and Mel would fit right in, sure, but not Jay and I.

That is, until I found the last room—a fully stocked armory. Racks lined the walls, each assorted by weapons type—javelin, spear, sword, axe, knife, bow, assault rifle, you name it. What was most interesting, however, was the black gauntlet that was hanging next to an old chiton. Silvery runes ran down the metal, and it almost seemed to glow in the dimness. _Stygian iron,_ I thought as I slipped it on. Not big enough for me now, but in a few years… _Just like the other one._ I decided I'd keep this one too. Whoever owned it sure wasn't using it, so why not?

"Woah."

I turned. Mel, Jay, and Daphne were standing in the doorway, looking at the assembled weapons with awe.

I nodded. "I know, right. Daphne"—I picked up one of the silver bows—"catch!"

She caught it, eyes wide. "For me?"

"Mm-hmm. Here, you'll need some arrows too." I handed them to her. "You ever use a bow before? No. That's alright. I'll teach you. We can use the training room across the hall."

"Who owns this place?" Mel asked.

"I have an idea." The armor made for young girls, the excessive amounts of bows, arrows, and knives, the hunting chiton…"I think this place belongs to Artemis."*

Jay looked over. "Artemis. You mean…"

"…the goddess of the hunt, yes."

Suddenly Mel looked troubled. "Won't she mind if we take her stuff?"

I scoffed. "She won't even notice." _She never noticed me, anyway. I doubt she'd care about some dusty old weapons._ "And if she does, who cares? Let her try and take them back." _Come find us, we'll be ready. Artemis, Niobe, Lycaon, it doesn't matter. We'll be ready for whatever you throw at us._

* * *

* In the Dark Prophecy, Apollo mentions that Artemis is a doomsday-prepper, and that she has hidden bunkers (like the Waystation) scattered all throughout the country. This is one of those bunkers.

A/N: Okay everyone, what did you think. Please leave me a review telling me what you thought. Thank you so much for reading, and I'll see you guys soon.

Bye!


	21. Chapter 21

**The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Twenty-One: We Run into the Girl Scouts**

"We can't stay here."

The others looked at me like I was crazy. "Really?" asked Melony. "Why not?"

"It's been two days," I said, "if Artemis should happen to stop in and see us here, she'll be pissed."

Jay and Mel exchanged a look. "She won't, you know, _kill_ us, right?"

"She might. We stole from her, and are living in her own little hidey-hole. Odds are, she'll be pissed." _Especially if she finds out I'm here, her little bastard abomination. She probably thought she'd never hear from me again, and that I'd die on some quest and nobody would ever bring me up again._ It brought me a small bit of pride to put a damper on her, but still. "Which is why we should leave. It's unlikely she'll chase us down, provided we don't take anything of value."

"What do you suggest?" Jay asked.

"We take a few things—some weapons, medical supplies, and clothing. Nothing she'll notice right away. Then we head for California. But we need to keep moving." I told them about my vision; of Niobe with her brothers and the werewolf king.

When I was done, Mel heaved a sigh. "How many were there?"

"Two dozen, I think, plus Niobe's brothers. But they aren't traveling with Lycaon, so I think we'll be safe from them for now."

"We?" Jason asked. "Sounds like it's _you_ they want, not us. Maybe we should go to California, and you can go anywhere else."

" _Jay!_ " Melony hissed.

"What?" he asked, raising his hands. "You really wanna get involved in whatever's chasing him? Mel, we could get caught in the crossfire."

"So what?" she said, defiant. "We're a _team_ ; we don't abandon each other just because we might get hurt."

"But—"

"But nothing! Jay, we'd be dead if not for Hunter. Don't forget, he could've left us on that train and left as soon as it was convenient. But he didn't. He didn't leave us, so we don't leave him."

Jay's jaw tightened, but he said, "Fine. I'm gonna go wake Daphne up," and stalked off, glowering.

Mel sighed through her nose. "Sorry 'bout him. I don't know why he gets like this."

"I have an idea," I said.

"Oh yeah? What?"

 _Maybe he doesn't want you to get hurt, maybe he cares for you more than you think._ Instead I said, "He thinks this'll slow us down; he wants make sure you get to California."

She hummed. "Maybe. But we're _all_ going to California. Like I said, no man left behind."

"I smiled. "Good. Hey, you can control fire, right?"

"Mm-hmm," she said, holding up her hands. Red-white flames danced along her fingers, whirling and flickering. "But not for very long."

"Good. We'll probably need that if we run into Lycaon along the way."

"Can't we use silver?"

"All I've found are some silver daggers. Unless you guys can close the distance without getting skewered, they won't do much good."

She ran a hand along the silver knife at her side. "Good point."

Just then Jay and Daphne entered, yawning. "Jay says we're leaving?"

"Mm-hmm," said Mel, smiling. "We need to leave soon, so why don't you help me pack up everything?"

"Okay. Where are we going?"

"California."

The little girl's eyes lit up. "Disneyland?"

"Uh, no, not Disneyland. But close! Won't that be fun?"

"Oh. I guess."

Mel laughed. "We'll still have fun. Come on."

Once they were gone, I turned to Jay. "Let's go see if there are any extra weapons we might've missed."

He sniffed. "Fine."

We took two swords, four spears, sixteen knives (five of which were silver), one stygian iron gauntlet, and three hunting horns in case we ran into trouble.

"Daphne," I called as we were leaving.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking back.

"Catch." I threw her one of the many silver bows that lined the wall of the armory.

She caught it with both hands and looked up, eyes bright. "For me?"

"You know it, kiddo. You're gonna need this too." I handed her a matching quiver and helped her tie it across her back. "When using a bow," I said, "accuracy above speed, okay?"

"Okay."

"Repeat it back to me."

"Accuracy above speed."

"Good." I stood up. "You guys ready?"

"Oh, yeah," said Mel, smiling. Jay nodded, solemn. Daphne giggled—the happiest we had ever seen her—and said, "Next stop, Disneyland!"

-o-

After catching a bus that took us as far as it could go (about a half hour outside a small town on the Colorado-Utah border), we hiked for about three days, following a highway that led us through an orange, rocky mountainside and a dry, cracking plain. We made due by eating some of the on-the-go foodstuffs we took from Artemis's bunker and filling our canteens in any rest stop, pond, lake, or puddle we could find.

"Can we please stop now?" asked Daphne, riding on Jay's shoulders. The poor girl was sweating profusely and burning from the sun. Jay was turning a little pink too, and Melony and I were peeling. All in all, we were pretty miserable.

 _Hurry up, Percy,_ I remember thinking one day, _I want to come home._

The nights weren't much better; bitterly cold and troublesome. We had taken to huddling together to preserve heat. Winter didn't appear in my dreams, which worried me to no end. _What if something's happened?_ I wondered. _What if another giant came and ate her._ I didn't really believe that, though; I would have felt it if she was dead.

I raised my hands over my eyes. "Look," I said, pointing. A large forest was growing just under a mile away from where we were. "Come on, guys, just a little bit more." With a new goal in mind, we hurried toward the sweet cover that shade provided.

Melony sighed and flopped down onto her stomach, smiling. Jay dropped his pack and sat against the trunk of a tree, while Daphne wiggled off him and sat on a nearby rock. I opted to remain standing, if only because my legs were so tense I couldn't even bend them.

Just then, a small rumble came from the ground. "Earthquake?" I asked, dubious.

"Uh, no," Melony said, blushing. "I'm hungry."

I laughed. "Seriously?"

She glared and threw a pebble at my face. "Shut up!"

I ducked and smiled. "Well, we have some dried—"

"I don't want any of that crap!" she said, sitting up. "It's dry, and bland, and gross!"

"Yeah," Jay said. "If I need to eat any more of that junk, I might puke."

"Mm-hmm," Daphne agreed.

I bit my lip, thinking. "You guys ever had venison?"

"What?" asked Mel.

"Venison. You know, dear?"

"Know what, honey?"

I frowned. "That sort of joke, seriously? Weak, Melony."

She huffed. "Whatever. No, I've never had dear. You, Jason?"

"Uh-uh."

"Me either," Daphne said.

"I could get some, if you guys wanted."

"How?" asked Jay.

I summoned my bow. "Hunting, obviously."

"How long will it take?" asked Mel.

"No longer than half an hour."

"Alright, then."

"Sure."

"Okay!"

I smiled and slung my bow over my back. "You wanna come, Daphne?"

She looked surprised. "M-Me?"

"Yeah. Might as well; you're a part of this team now, so why not pull your weight a little."

"Oh. Okay." She pulled her bow over a shoulder and held it tightly. "Which way?"

"I'll let you pick."

"Um…this way?" she said, pointing.

"Are you asking me, or telling me?"

"This way," she said, more determined.

"See you guys later," I said.

"Hunter," Jay called, "catch." He threw his spear to me; I caught it with one hand. "For good luck, just in case something happens."

"Good point." I strapped it to my back. "Thanks." He nodded.

"Come on, Hunter!" Daphne called.

"Coming!"

We made our way through the trees, keeping well hidden under the shade. The leaves and grass crunched under Daphne's feet, so I couldn't hear anything over the sound of _crunch crunch cruch._

"Daphne," I said.

She turned. "Yeah?"

I caught up to her. "Walk more slowly; you're making too much noise."

She frowned. "Noise?"

"Yeah. Walk to that tree and back, and listen carefully." She did. "See what I mean?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Sorry."

I waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. It's your first hunt, I don't expect you to be an expert. Remember—walk slowly, and try and avoid stepping on leaves if you can. If deer can hear you, they'll flee before you get the chance to get them."

We continued on, until I saw a groove in the dirt. "Here," I said. "See?"

"Tracks?"

"Mm-hmm. This way."

Daphne took the lead again, walking as silently as she could through the grass…

…until she rounded a corner and a deer burst through the bushes. "Woah!" She readied her bow.

"Wait!" I said, jogging up to her.

"Why?" she demanded. "I had it!"

"No, you didn't. It saw you, saw what you could do. If you made any move that it perceived as a threat, it would've fled. When hunting, fire from the shadows, and make sure you're unseen. Got it?"

"Got it. Accuracy over speed, move quietly, fire from the shadows. Got it."

I smiled, a sudden feeling of pride in my chest. "Come on, before it gets away."

"How'd you learn all this stuff, Hunter?"

"A great man taught me when I was a little older than you."

"Was he your papa?"

"No, though he took me in and treated me as if he was." In truth, for the first few years of my life, I _had_ thought Apollo was my father, until he told me otherwise. "He was a great man, Daphne, and a skilled hunter."

"Where is he?"

 _Somewhere where he doesn't have to worry about me._ "Above us."

She stopped and looked up. "In an airplane?"

I laughed. "No. He's driving the sun chariot."

Now she looked confused. "What?"

"The Greek god of the sun is Apollo, Daphne. He drives the sun across the sky, bringing daylight and sunshine."

"And heat?"

I thought about that. "I suppose so."

"Then he's a jerk."

I had to laugh at that, even though it likely scared the dear away. "Yes, I suppose he is."

Ten minutes later, we came upon a small clearing; a cliff formed a wall stretching across the forest, while trees were packed so close together they formed a perfect cover. The deer was grazing on some grass, oblivious.

"Here," I said. "Get your bow ready."

She did, sliding an arrow from the quiver, notching it. "Take a deep breath," I advised, speaking softly. "Don't think of it as an animal, think of it as food. Pull the arrow to your chin, good, like that. Take a deep breath, and release." She did. The arrow sailed through the air, hitting the deer in the side. It took three steps before falling.

"I did it!"

I smiled. "You did. Come on."

Daphne ran ahead, then faltered as she got closer. "It's…still alive."

It was—the deer was breathing quickly, eyes rolling in terror. I held out my knife. "So it is. Finish it."

"Me?"

"Your hunt, your kill. You need to learn, Daphne. Everyone's afraid the first time. You must overcome that fear, or it will rule you." She took the knife and knelt down, murmuring an apology. She pressed the knife to the animal's warm flesh, but her arm was shaking.

"I-I can't," she said, voice shaking.

"Let me help." I knelt down next to her, and helped guide the knife. The deer let out a shudder, then went still. Daphne pulled the knife out, then handed it back to me.

"Thank you," I said, sheathing the blade. She was staring at one of her hands, which was red with blood. I pulled a piece of cloth from my pocket and wiped it away. "To a hunter, blood means nothing. Everything bleeds, you must learn to filter it out."

She nodded, but didn't look any happier. I put a hand on her shoulder. "You did well, Daphne."

"I couldn't do it myself," she whispered.

"Neither could I, the first time. I cried when mine stopped breathing. Took me another month before I hunted again."

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm. Now, we need to— _look out!_ "

I grabbed her shoulder and myself back, just barely avoiding the large man wearing a larger battle-axe. "There you are." Now that he was closer, I could make out more of his features—long dirty hair, a beard, and glittering blue eyes. He was dressed in breeches and a single vambrace on his left arm. "Come with us, Niobe wants to see you."

"No," I said, rising to my feet.

He smiled. "Choosing the hard way, eh? I can live with that." He pulled his axe free, the metal glowing in the sun.

"Hunter," Daphne said. I glanced over my shoulder. The one with the metal shoulder was in front of Daphne, sword and shield ready. He was wearing a black jerkin and golden coronet, his blonde hair cut close. He had sea-green eyes, as opposed to his sister.

"You're not going anywhere," he said, rounding us and standing next to his brother.

 _No choice._ "Go, Daphne. Get back to the campsite, get Jay and Mel, and run."

"No! I won't leave you. We're a family, we stay together."

"Together, then."

The big one laughed and charged, axe ready. "You can have the runt, brother."

"Remember, Broetas, Niobe want him alive."

He swung his axe in a wide arc across his body, and would've cut me in half if I hadn't slid out of the way. My spear shot out, cutting his cheek. He yelled and cleaved downward, but I threw myself to the side and rolled away.

I was on my feet a moment later, flicking my spear out. He pushed the head away with his axe, then cut at me again. I slid backward, then summoned my bow and fired three shots, which he evaded. I had closed the distance and slashed with my spear, but he spun, avoiding the cut. He raised his axe and brought it down, but I tapped my watch and my shield was out, catching the big axe and cutting at him with my spear. He tried to move, but too slowly. My spear left a deep gash in his side. He roared and staggered back.

Across the clearing, Daphne was handling herself well. She and Pelops were going back and forth; Daphne would shoot arrows at him, he would block with his shield, strike with his sword, and Daphne would slide out of the way. _She's faster than I would have thought._ Pelops was cut in several places, so either she had managed to cut him with her arrows or her knife. Both were good.

"Daphne, to me!"

She ran, slid under Pelops's legs, and hurried over to me. We stood, back-to-back, as Niobe's brothers circled us.

"Why are you here?" I asked. "What does Niobe want with me?"

"Don't know, don't care," Broetas said.

"Come with us, Diomedes, and we'll leave your friend alone," Pelops said.

"What did you call me?"

"Hunter!" Daphne said.

Pelops was running at us, sword raised. I parried with my shield, stunning him. Then Broetas came at us. Daphne vaulted over me, using my back as a launch pad, and used her momentum to bring the big man down. She rolled off him, bow in hand.

I dropped my spear in favor of my knives. I was faster than both of these two, much faster, and I could close the distance. I slid under his sword and came up, knives flashing, landing a dozen small cuts on his body before he could cut at me again. Across the clearing, Broetas's axe was raised over his head, ready to crush Daphne. I threw one of my knives at him, catching him in the back. He screamed and missed his mark. Daphne rolled away, then got back on her feet and fired an arrow that just barely missed me and hit Pelops, who had come up for another attack behind me. Her arrow hit him in the shoulder. He screamed and faltered.

"Nice job, kid!" I said, throwing myself over to my spear and digging the tip into the back of Broetas's leg.

"Thanks!" she said, slamming the big man across the face with her bow.

I put my spear on my back and came on with my knife. (The other one was still in Broetas's back.) Pelops broght his sword down, but my spear caught it and I pushed back, unbalancing him. I cut at his arm and leg, but he moved, leaving cuts too shallow to do more than be a minor annoyance.

"Hunter, behind you!"

I ducked just in time to avoid being decapitated by Broetas's axe. I moved around him, pulled my knife out of his back, and cut him quickly. By the time he swung again, there was a spiderweb of red cuts across his back.

The big man came on, again and again, drive me back toward the wall. My shield caught most blows, but I had to slide out of the way for a few. Daphne was fighting Pelops, catching his cuts with her bow, using her smaller size to stay out of his reach.

"To me!"

We were back-to-back again, watching as the two would-be abductors circled like sharks.

"We're gonna eat you alive, girl."

"Come on, then. I'm right here."

"Focus, Daphne."

"Sorry!"

Broetas roared and charged, axe held in both hands. Daphne and I slid out if the way. I rushed toward him, spear ready. I cut, moved back, then forward, cut, moved back, and repeated. I was constantly moving, always sliding back or to the side, never letting him get close enough to do any harm.

"I'm gonna shove that spear where the sun don't shine!"

"You'll need to catch me, oaf."

"DIE!"

I slid to the side, light as a feather. _Speed beats size,_ was a motto Apollo had instilled in me long ago, and I was proving him right. The big man was bleeding from dozens of cuts, and I was barely damaged.

"Hold still, boy!"

"Maybe you should speed up."

"I will rip your guts out through your throat!"

"You'd still need to catch me."

"ARRGH!"

He charged, and I cut with my spear, but at the last second, he turned, caught my spear below the head, and cut if off with his axe. He cut across his body, and I slid under the blade and jammed my knife into his arm. He screamed and dropped the axe, then grabbed my neck with one hand. He reared his head back like he was going to headbutt me, but then an arrow went flying through his cheek. He let me go, surprised, and I picked up his axe, lifted it over my head, and brought it down on his head, which split like a watermelon.

"BROETAS!" Pelops cried. He looked at me, incredulous. "You…you killed him."

"And I'm going to kill you too." I advanced, axe still in hand.

He dropped his sword and ran, screaming. Daphne raised her bow and tried to fire, but I said, "No, Daphne." She lowered her bow.

"Why not?"

"No point. He's beaten, not a threat. Are you hurt?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm good."

I sighed. "Good. We need to go before—"

Somewhere nearby, a wolf howled.

-o-

"Hey, guys!" Mel said as we ran toward the camp. "Wait, what's—hey!"

I grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet. "We need to go. Now! Jay, help me get all this stuff packed up. _Come on!_ "

"Wait, hold on," Mel said. "What's happened? Why are you all bloody? Where's the food?"

Just then, a loud howl filled the air, carrying over the trees and grass.

"We need to go," Mel said. "Come on."

About ten seconds later, we had thrown everything back into the backpacks and were sprinting through the trees as fast as our legs could carry us. More howling came from just behind us. "They're getting closer!" Daphne called.

"Don't turn back," I said, "just keep running."

The first wolf burst from the bushes a few seconds later. Mel stopped so abruptly she actually slid a few feet, then stuck her hand out and shot a white-hot spurt of flame at the wolf; it yelped and began rolling around in the dirt, trying to pat itself out.

"Come on," Jay said, pulling her up. "Two more behind us!"

Sure enough, two large black wolves were running after us. Daphne and I turned at the same time and fired arrows, but they went through them like they were made of mist. In response, Mel shot embers at a tree in their way and I caught, lighting up instantly. They yelped and gave it a wide berth, buying us time.

"Got any last-minute escape plan, Fearless Leader?" Jay asked.

"No, thought I'm open to suggestions!"

"There!" Daphne said, pointing. We could see the tiniest glimpses of a town through the trees, oh so close.

"Daphne, you're beautiful! Found our last-second escape plan, guys."

"Will that really help? Wont the werewolves just keep following us?" asked Mel.

"Maybe, but there's no way of knowing unless we give it a try."

"Fair enough."

With renewed vigor, we charged headlong for that tiny little town that could prove our salvation. Behind us, more wolves were howling, and the sound sent shivers down my spine. My legs were burning, and my lungs were sure to burst any second now.

The moment our feet touched the cement of a paved road, my spirit soared, but we didn't stop running. We zigzagged through buildings, down alleyways, through intersections (and almost got flattened by a car or two) before we were confident enough to stop for a breather behind a dumpster.

"That…sucked…" Daphne gasped.

I hit her softly on the arm. "Language," I said, panting.

"She's not wrong," Melony said, winded.

"Yeah," Jay croaked.

We waited several minutes before poking our heads out. "Think they're gone?"

"No idea, Mel. Jay, go check."

"What? Why me?"

"Because I said so. Think about it this way—if you die, your noble sacrifice will buy us several needed seconds."

"A noble end," Mel said.

"A _hero's_ end," Daphne said.

"Go on," I said.

"I hate you guys." Nevertheless, he went. He poked his head out, looked left, right, left, then motioned for us to come out. The sun was beginning to set now, so the town was bathed in orange and pink light. "See?" he asked when we joined him. "Nothing to worry—"

"Hi!"

He screamed and turned, jabbing his fist out at the speaker. There was a scream as the person fell onto their bottom. We all stared in shock, mouths open.

"Oh, gods," Jay muttered.

"Dude..." I said. "You just punched a _Girl Scout_ in the _face._ "

He was milk-white now. The girl was sobbing, cradling her bleeding nose with both hands. Jay knelt. "I-I didn't mea—"

"Get away from me!" the girl shrieked, scrambling back. " _Get away get away get away!_ "

"But—"

"Sarah!" We turned. A dozen girls in matching skirts and sashes were running towards us. _Oh, we are so dead._ "What happened?" the lead girl—no older than sixteen with honey-blonde hair—knelt down next to the girl. "Are you alright?"

"No!" the girl—Sarah—said, sobbing. " _He hit me!_ "

The scout leader looked at Jay with such revulsion we all took a step back. "What is your _problem_?"

"It was an accident," he protested. "I didn't—"

"Didn't what? Didn't mean to hit a nine-year-old in the face? What kind of—"

"Run!" Jay said, rushing to his feet and taking off in the opposite direction. We were eager to follow his lead.

"Hey!" cried the older girl, but we had already left her in the dust.

"You just hit a little girl in the face," I said dryly.

"Shut up! This way." We turned down a dark alley behind a Chinese restaurant and hid behind another dumpster.

"You think it's safe now?" asked Daphne, poking her head out. The sun had set by now, and the stars were glittering in the sky.

"I don't know—Jay, go check, and try not to hit another Girl Scout."

"One more word, Hunter, and you're dead."

"Go on. That's two words."

"I swear—"

" _Boys!_ " Mel said. "Can we _focus_?"

I sighed. "Right. Bigger fish and all that. Let's go."

We stepped out of the alleyway…

…and we were suddenly surrounded by four police cars.

"Freeze!" one of the policemen shouted, gun pointed at us.

We all raised our hands above our heads, eager to not get shot. "All this for punching a Girl Scout?" I asked.

"Hunter, it's _you_!" Mel hissed.

"Me?" I asked, shocked. "What are you talking about?"

"You're covered in blood and there's a _giant axe_ on your back."

I looked down at myself; sure enough, I was still covered in Broetas's blood, and his axe—yes, I kept the axe—was still on my back.

"Oh."

-o-

"You just _had_ to punch that little girl in the face."

Jay scowled and shot me a look. "I'm not in the mood, Hunter. Buzz off. Besides, _you_ were the one with blood and brains on your shirt."

"I don't really care about what you're in the mood for, we're talking about this. We're in _jail,_ Jason. Do you know what they do to pretty guys like me in jail?"

"Since when are you a pretty guy?"

"Since I was born."

"That is very debatable."

"Will you boys please be quiet?" Mel asked from an adjourning cell. The police had taken us to the local station and were keeping us in two large holding cells: one for guys, one for girls. I'm sure you can guess who's in which.

"You think they'll let us go?" Daphne asked.

Mel sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I don't think so, Daph."

"Why not?"

"Because Jason _punched a little girl in the face,_ " I said. "They'll probably throw us in some maximum-security hole in the ground and throw away the keys."

"I don't think so," said Mel. "I mean, yeah, Jay's going away forever—"

"Hey!"

"—but I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Can't you bail us out?" asked Jason, frowning. _Does he ever smile?_

"With what?" I asked. "They took our money and weapons."

"Then call someone."

"Who? Daphne, Melony, and I have no one, and your dad—"

"—is out of the question."

"Then we're stuck here. That is, unless you want to break us out."

He scowled. "No. They'd track us across the country if we tried to leave."

I raised my hands. "Then my hands are tied."

Just then a police officer entered, jangling a ring of keys. "It's your lucky day, kids. Someone just posted bail."

We all sat up straight. "Who did?"

"I did," came a voice.

My stomach dropped to my feet. The voice was familiar, and terrifying. Dressed in a white gown, long blonde hair flowing down her back, stood our rescuer, whose eyes held the familiar glint that told me she was silently furious, despite the smile on her lips.

"Hello, sweetness."

I swallowed. "Hi, Leto."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading. Please leave lots of reviews. Sorry about the hiatus. I just started college and I'm still adjusting. Please be patient, and I'll do my best to upload soon.

Bye!


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: Just a heads up before we begin, the second half of this chapter deals with some dark themes, so if that kinda stuff isn't for you, stop reading after the second -o- symbol. Thanks!

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Twenty-Two: Hunters**

"…all the stupid, idiotic, foolish, moronic, asinine, ridiculous, and _stupid_ things you could have done!"

"Is she alright?" Mel asked. Leto had taken us back to one of her luxury apartments that were scattered all over the country (this one was Utah, close to the Nevada border), where she had proceeded to fuss over us, all while ranting about how "foolish" we had been.

I looked at the kitchen. Leto was currently hunched over a sixteen-burner stove, muttering curses under her breath. "Hard to say. Give it five more minutes, just to be safe."

"So," Jay said, "what's the deal with this lady? Who is she?"

"Her name is Leto. She's the mother of Artemis and Apollo and the Titan of Motherhood."

Jay shot a look at Leto. We were sitting in the dining room, a few feet away from the kitchen. "Didn't you say Titans were bad news?"

"Not this one. Leto's pretty chill."

Just then, said Titan emerged from the kitchen carrying several plates of food and muttering to herself. "…shameful, that's what it is. Really, getting yourself _arrested_ ; I thought I raised you better than that."

"Technically, it was Jay who got us arrested."

"Hey!"

Leto set the food down and pulled on my cheek. "Don't get smart with me, young man. You ran when the police tried to catch you. Imagine my reaction when I heard my precious baby boy was in the slammer. I thought I would faint! Shame on you, nearly break an old woman's heart."

"Don't worry, Ms. Leto," Mel said, smiling, "we made sure your _baby boy_ wasn't too hurt by the experience."

I shot Mel an I'm-going-to-kill-you look. She smiled and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Thank you, dear," Leto said, patting her head. "Hunter's always been fragile."

" _Anyway,_ " I said, blushing. "What're we having?"

Leto smiled. "I'm glad you asked! I made meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn, and steamed asparagus. There's also a cheesecake in the fridge if you're all still hungry afterwards."

I poked at the food with a fork. "Can't we have burgers?"

Leto scoffed. "No, you cannot have _burgers._ I can't even _begin_ to imagine what terrible fast food you've had since I last saw you. You're thin as a twig, Hunter. You need a good, healthy meal before you waste away."

I blushed. "I'm not _that_ thin."

"Hunter, darling, you look like you could slip through the cracks in the floor. Now, eat up. I have a lot of cooking to do if I'm gonna get you back to normal."

"Thank you, Leto, but you don't have—"

"Not another word, young man! You need to start eating, pronto! Here, let me help." Without warning, she snatched my fork away and shoved a fistful of food down my throat. I coughed before swallowing, too shocked to think straight.

Mel and Jay laughed until Leto shot them a glare. "The two of you had better start eating too. Gods, you're all skin and bones!"

"Ms. Leto?" Daphne said, raising up her empty plate. "May I have some more, please?"

Leto beamed. "Of course you can, my dear. Here, give that to me." She disappeared.

"How have you already finished?" Jay asked, lifting his fork to his mouth.

Daphne blushed. "I'm hungry."

I laughed. "Me too, kiddo." That helped her relax.

"Here you are, dear," Leto said, handing her back her now-full plate. She pulled out a chair and sat down, a mug of coffee in her hand. "You could learn a thing or two from your friend there, Hunter. _She_ knows good food when she sees it."

"More like smells it," I muttered.

Daphne blushed and began eating again.

"Aren't you going to eat something?" I asked Leto.

She shook her head. "Oh, no. I had a large lunch earlier. Besides, you four need it _far_ more than I do."

"We aren't _that_ thin."

"Hunter, you look about ready to blow over from the slightest breeze." She leaned back. "Now, I want you to tell me why you aren't at Camp Half-Blood."

I swallowed and looked down. "So you know about…"

"…the cabin? Yes, I do. Apollo said that a couple of giants destroyed it."

"Yes."

"He also said that you met your mother."

A lump formed in my throat. Artemis _still_ hadn't tried to contact me, even after all this time. _Not like she cared, anyway._ "I met Artemis, yes."

Her eyes softened. "And how was that?"

I shrugged. "Almost died. Apollo and Artemis saved me. Artemis didn't kill me. She left, and I haven't seen her or Apollo since. No big deal."

She frowned. "Not after all this time?" I shook my head. "No dream visions?" I shook my head again. "No claiming?" Again. "Have they even sent you _birthday gifts_?" When I shook my head again, she scowled. "What have those two been doing?"

"Well, you didn't send me anything either."

"Because I didn't want to overstep my bounds. If I had sent you anything or visited, people would have begun to suspect something was amiss. I was waiting for Apollo or Artemis to send you a sign. Besides, you haven't tried to call me once! I was beginning to think you'd forgotten all about me."

"Never," I said. "But I've been kind of busy. Moving out was a big change, then settling in at Camp was hard, then there was the quest—"

"Quest?" Leto's eyebrows lifted. "What's this about a quest?"

I quickly told her about the quest to find Zeus's Master Bolt. When I was done, Leto squealed. "Oh, I'm so proud! My darling little boy's turning into a hero. Why, it seems like yesterday I was changing your diapers and teaching you the alphabet."

Mel perked. "You were around when Hunter was a baby? Do you have pictures?"

I covered my mouth. "Mel. Melony _no._ "

"Oh, I have more than that!" Leto chirped. "I also have home videos!"

"Can we see them?"

"Sure! Let me go—"

I blushed. " _NO!_ " When I realized how loud I had been, I coughed and said, "Maybe another time."

Leto sighed. "Oh, very well. Tell me, why aren't you at Camp? You didn't run off, did you?"

"It's…a long story."

"I have plenty of time." Leto leaned back, sipping her coffee. By the time the story was over, Leto's coffee had run out, we'd eaten three more plates of food, and Daphne was falling asleep on the table.

"What was Zeus thinking," Leto murmured, "putting _Tantalus_ in charge?"

"I don't know." I raised my hands. "But so long as he's there, I can't go back."

"And as long as you're out here, Niobe will keep hunting you."

"Exactly." I inclined my head at Mel and Jay. "For now we're keeping on schedule—spreading Mel's caretaker's ashes in California."

Leto nodded. "A noble goal. I won't hold you here, you're free to leave whenever you wish; but stay the night, at least."

I yawned. "G…Good ide…ea."

She laughed. "C'mon, I'll show you to your rooms."

There were enough guest rooms to provide each of us with one room, so we were all grateful to have some privacy. After we'd brushed our teeth and tucked ourselves in, Leto came by to make sure we were all set.

"Goodnight, Hunter," she said from the doorway of my little room, smiling.

"G'night, Leto," I yawned. "Thanks for…helping us out."

She smiled and moved forward, kissing me on the forehead. "Any time, sweetness. Pleasant dreams."

-o-

The next day was spent doing one thing—absolutely nothing. After being on the move so much, none of had realized how _tired_ we were. None of us woke up earlier than noon, we spent the whole day relaxing and watching TV, and Leto spent the time fussing over us like a mother bird.

All in all, it was pretty nice.

The second day started out pretty much the same, but we decided to start pulling our weight a little. We did the dishes, folded laundry, cooked lunch, and other household chores. Leto frowned and said that we were doing it all wrong, but she was smiling the whole time and didn't really make us do it over again.

After lunch we decided to relax in the living room and watch some TV. After about an hour or so the doorbell rang, and Leto excused herself to answer it.

For a foot two minutes, the only sound was the television...

…until we heard the door burst open and someone shouted, "WHERE IS HE?"

 _Oh, no. Quick, think fast._ "Guys, gimme your credit cards!"

Mel looked alarmed. "What, why?"

"Just do it. Daphne, pass me Leto's purse."

"Why?"

"Do as I say."

I heard angry footsteps hurrying down the hall toward us. Only a few more seconds…

I slipped my card into my sock, then pulled a _Trader Joe's_ gift card out of Leto's purse and slipped it in between Jay and Mel's cards, then put those into my pocket. No sooner had I done that, then the door burst open.

"You!" the person said, pointing a finger at me.

"Hey, Apollo," was my response.

He pulled me up by my collar. "What are you _doing here_?"

"Trying to enjoy some TV. You wanna watch, it's pretty good."

"I mean, what are you doing _here,_ in _Utah_?"

I shrugged. "Heard there was pretty nice snow down here."

"Don't get smart with me, Hunter."

"I'm sorry, are you having trouble understanding me?"

A vein was bulging on his forehead, blue eyes raging. "You watch your words, boy. The next sentence you say might—"

"Might what?" Leto asked, arms crossed. "Apollo, lower your voice, the neighbors can hear you."

Apollo turned, affronted. "But he—"

"I don't care what he did, it's no excuse to raise your voice."

Triumphant, I stuck my tongue out.

"Put your tongue back in your mouth, Hunter."

Shoot.

Apollo sighed and ran a hand through his golden locks. "Why aren't you at Camp?"

"Got kicked out."

" _WHAT?_ "

"Indoor voice, Apollo."

"Sorry, Mom." He turned back to me. "How, exactly, did you get _kicked out_?"

I quickly told him the story.

He sighed and put a hand on his temple. "Dad was an idiot for thinking _Tantalus_ was a good pick for replacing Chiron." Above us, the sky rumbled. "I'm not wrong!"

"It's even worse for me, considering who he is."

Apollo blinked. "What do you mean?"

I blinked. "Do…do you not know? Dude, he's _Niobe's dad._ "

His eyes widened. "No way."

I nodded. "Yes way. Even if I did absolutely nothing wrong, I probably still would have been kicked out. Luckily I've managed to stay ahead of Niobe's goons."

"Goons?"

I nodded. "She sent her brothers, Broetas and Pelops after us. Broetas is dead, but Pelops is still out there. Lycaon's after us too."

"You know he can only—"

"—be killed by silver weapons, yes. We raided one of Artemis's bunkers, stole some silver knives."

He blinked. "You… _stole_ some of Artemis's weapons."

"Did I stutter?"

He threw his head back and burst out laughing. "Oh, man, that is _awesome._ Wait till—hey, wait a minute, you stole from me too."

I raised an eyebrow. "Me? Apollo, surely you've gone mad. I would never steal from you."

His brow furrowed. "Nice try. Hygeia told me you accessed my suite, and I found three of my Olympian Platinum cards were missing."

I sighed. "Being homeless is expensive."

He held out a hand. "Give them back."

"Fine," I muttered, reaching into my pocket. I made sure Leto's card was in between Apollo's, then took them out of my pocket and handed them over. Mel, Jay, and Daphne watched anxiously as he slipped them into his pocket, and we all breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Apollo waved a hand at me. "Come on, I'll take you back to Camp. I'm sure Dionysus and I can—"

"No."

He blinked, confused. " _No?"_

"No," I said again. "I'm not going back."

"B-But you have to. Camp's the only place where—"

"—I'm safe? Yeah, Apollo, I'm not safe _anywhere._ Unless you know about some _other_ demigod camp somewhere out there, or, you know, you rebuild the cabin, I'm stuck. Tantalus will never let me stay, and you can't convince your father to let Chiron come back. Camp has nothing for me anymore. Besides"—I jammed a thumb at Mel, Jay, and Daph—"I made a promise to these idiots and I intent to keep it."

"Aw," Mel said. "Wait, you just called us idiots. Un-aw."

"Hunter, listen to me—" Apollo began, but I cut him off.

"No, you don't get to preach to me. You _ignored_ me for a _year and a half._ While I was struggling to fit in and make a new home for myself, you were off on Olympus drinking Nectar and flirting with every being with a heartbeat. Newsflash—even without Tantalus, Camp Half-Blood didn't truly accept me either." I held up my arm. "Recognize this?"

Apollo's eyes widened when he saw the mark. "Where did you—"

"It doesn't matter. I know what I am now, and so does everyone else. _Abomination,_ they called me, and I didn't know _why._ Hades, I _still_ don't know why. Is it because I'm Artemis's kid? Because I wasn't supposed to exist? Because of this damn mark? _I don't know!_ But you did, didn't you?" His silence was the only answer I needed. "That's what I thought. Did you even truly care about me, or was I just some burden on you?"

Apollo's eyes widened, and Leto gasped. "Hunter!" she said, shocked.

"Quiet, Leto, I want to hear it from him. Why do people hate me, Apollo? Why does Niobe want me? Why did you throw me under the bus and leave me there? Hmm?" When he didn't answer, I exploded. " _TELL ME!"_

"I…I can't," he murmured. "But, please, nephew, just—"

"Don't call me that," I hissed. "Artemis isn't my mother, and you aren't my uncle. We're done."

Apollo flinched. "Hunter—"

"I'm leaving," I said over my shoulder. "You guys staying?"

"Not if you aren't," Jay said, standing. I cracked a smile; it seemed like we were becoming closer.

"Thanks for the food!" Daphne called over her shoulder. We packed easily; thirty seconds later we were walking out the door, with Leto calling after us.

"Hunter, wait, please. Come back!"

"Let him go, Mother," I heard Apollo say. "He needs to figure this out on his own."

 _Damn right I do,_ I thought. _Because nobody I trust will give me the answers I need._ I stifled a bitter laugh. _Guess that means I don't have anyone I can trust._

-o-

Two days later, we arrived by bus at a small little rest stop in the center of Nevada. Utah's roads had proved to be bumpy and rough, so any time we dozed off we'd be roused a few minutes later by some jostle and hitch.

The moon had ridden high in the sky when we were dropped off, and the stars were barely visible. Daphne was asleep on my shoulders, while Mel was falling asleep on Jay's shoulder, which was all the more impressive considering she was standing up.

"Look," Jay said, pointing. A motel was just down the road, the large green sign reading _Vacancy_ in flashing lights.

"Sleep," Mel moaned.

"Come on," I said, and we walked toward the ugly building, which seemed to be multiplying as we got closer.

There was a thin man with a goatee reading a newspaper at the front desk, and he looked up when we stumbled in. "Well, ain't this a surprise! Welcome to the Gaslight Motel. Room for four?"

I mumbled something even I didn't understand and slid Apollo's card—our last one—onto the desk. While he swiped it, he asked, "Where you kids from?"

"York," I mumbled.

"New York?" he asked, eyebrows rising. "You got family out here or somethin'?"

"No family…go west." I know, I know, that was really stupid, but come on! I was _tired._ I can't thing when I'm tired.

"Reaaally?" Okay, red flag. I should've been creeped out, but I wasn't, because I was falling asleep on this guy's front desk. He handed the card back. "Okay, your room's number six-nineteen. I'll bring some food up for you kids before you go to bed." Red flag number two.

Somehow we made it to our room, and just in time. Daphne was already passed out, so I just threw her onto one of the beds and tried to make sure her head wasn't hanging over the edge. A few minutes later the guy came in with four bowls of soup, which I should've turned away because ew, it's soup, we hadn't eaten anything in two days and I was starving.

The soup was thick and creamy, and warm enough to burn its way down my throat. I had already had three spoonfuls when I tasted something…off. I sloshed the broth around in my throat before my eyes widened and I spit it out, all over the table.

Mel and Jay dropped their spoons in alarm. I shoved a hand down my throat and tried my grab my uvula.

"Hunter, stop!" Mel cried grabbing my arm. "What are you doing?"

"Spit it out!" I yelled. "Something…inside…" The room had begun to spin, and my vision was blurring.

"Oh," was all Jason had time to say, before his eyes rolled into his head and he fell head-first onto the floor. Mel's eyes widened and she whispered, "Hunter…" before she fell back, mouth wide.

I tried to rise, but my legs were made of jelly and I ended up falling onto the floor. The door opened a second later, and I heard someone say, "We got four…two boys, two girls…Pa'll love this."

A shadow loomed over me. "One's still awake."

"Then put him to sleep," said a female voice. "Ooh, I like his jacket."

"It's yours, baby girl," said the shadow, before something hard slammed into my skull.

-o-

I was jostled awake by a tugging in my gut. "Winter?" I asked aloud, because a tugging in my gut was how I knew Winter was close. For I moment I thought I was home, that I would wake up in my bed with the snow falling outside the window and game in the woods. Apollo would be gone, driving the sun chariot, and I would have the cabin to myself.

Alas, the moment passed, and I found myself sitting against the cold wall of a van, rising and falling as it drove down (what I assume was) a dirt road. I was tied around the wrists and ankles; Mel, Daphne, and Jay were tied similarly, still asleep on the floor.

 _Drugged,_ I thought. _What do these people want?_

"Well, looks like one of 'em's awake." The speaker was a young girl—my age, if I were to guess, maybe a little older—with black hair, green eyes, and creamy skin. She was wearing dark jeans, combat boots, and—

"That's _my jacket_ ," I said, but she only laughed.

"Not anymore, handsome." She reached at her waist and pulled out a pistol, aiming it at my chest. "And if you try and move at me again, I'll kill you."

"Little girl, you better put that gun away before I bash your brains out with it."

Someone in the front of the van, separated from us by a metal divider, like the kind in police cruisers, laughed. "He's got balls, Lily. Should make for a good hunt."

 _Hunt?_ "Where are you taking us?"

"A little field out in the middle of nowhere," the girl replied. "We got a little game for you…hey, Chris, we givin' all of 'em out?"

"Nah, Pa said he already go too many. We drop that one there off 'n take the rest to the house."

"Aw," said the girl, shooting me a grin. "I was hoping I'd get to play with him a little. He's cute."

"You will die slowly."

She laughed. "Granddad's gonna love you, boy. Chris, how much longer?"

"None. We're here." I recognized him as the one who had stomped on my head. He pulled to the side of the road and climbed out, another man getting out with him.

"Line ends here, handsome. Out you go, now." The girl put her foot on my shoulder and pushed, sending me out the double doors of the van. The two men caught me and pulled me to my feet, dragging me. A large field was in front of us, with several jeeps shining bright search lamps in a small circle right in the middle. A dozen people or more were around them, holding guns, knives, bows, and other blunt objects. Even more people were kneeling on the ground, their hands tied. Most were crying; all were terrified. They seemed to be druggies, runaways, and other un-reputable sorts.

The men shoved me to the ground at the edge of the circle and said, "That's the last of 'em, Pa."

"Excellent."

A tall man with white-blonde hair that was thinning strode forward; he was dressed in hunting gear with a large knife on his hip.* He spread his arms and said, clear across the field, "Welcome, everyone, to my family's favorite pastime." He looked over all of us like a lion that's caught a mouse. "You are the lowest portion of society—drug addicts, runaways, orphans, and prostitutes. Your existence is a blight on this earth. Today, that changes. Today, your lives will be sacrificed for the good of my family." At this, people began to scream. One man on a jeep raised his gun into the air and fired several times. The screaming stopped.

"Today," the old man continued, "you will be released from your bonds into the surrounding forest. We are surrounded by ten miles of trees on each side; feel free to run in any direction. You will be hunted after a five-minute wait. Anyone who can survive the night will be free to go, I promise." _A murderer's promise,_ I thought. _They'll be gunned down the moment they show themselves._

"Cut the restraints," the old man commanded, and his family spent several minutes walking through the crowd, cutting the rope with large hunting knives. When someone came to cut mine, I considered killing him and making a run for it. _I'd be killed before I got the chance._ My thoughts were proven right a moment later when a ragged boy dashed off toward the road. He made it fifteen feet before a bullet caught him in the back.

More screaming. More gunfire. Silence.

"You will have five minutes to run. Once that time has run out…game on." The old man raised a hand. "To my family: good hunting." He lowered his hand, and we all took off.

I ran for five minutes before scrambling up the tallest tree that was near me. I had been faster than most of everyone else, so I got farther on. People were still running below me, screaming. _Be quiet, you fools. They'll hear you._

As more minutes ticked by, the hunters arrived. They were wearing night-vision goggles and walkie-talkies, and looked to be armed to the teeth. I could see about three or four moving all around me. _No mercy, no survivors,_ I told myself. _Have to find the others._ Then I began chuckling. _Look at me, stuck in the woods in the middle of the night, with game all around me._ I began to climb silently down the tree, first target already in sight.

 _Let the hunt begin._

I had spent years hunting in the woods, so visibility was not an issue. My footsteps were silent, and I moved through the trees like a wolf stalking prey. A big man with a knife on his side was close, looking through a couple of bushes with his rife. I got within ten feet…five…two…

I slipped the knife from his side and got him in a headlock, the blade sliding under his neck. My bow and knives were celestial bronze, and any other weapons I'd had had been taken. He froze and held his hands up.

"Drop the gun," I whispered. He did. "How many of you are there?"

"Fifteen," he gasped.

 _Fifteen._ "Thank you." I pressed the knife into his neck and pulled, opening his throat. He let out a watery gasp and clutched at his neck, stumbling. He stopped moving a second later.

"Thanks for the gun," I said, bending down to pick it up. I'd used a rifle once or twice before, but never really liked them; they were too loud and heavy. I slipped it onto my back and kept the knife in-hand. Then I bent down and picked up the man's walkie-talkie; could be useful.

 _One down, fourteen to go._

-o-

"You sure they're over here?"

Martha took a moment to glare at her twin sister Maria. They were both short, with brown-blonde hair, green eyes, and a freckle on their right cheek, but that was where the similarities ended. Martha was younger, but bolder. Maria was always either silent or remarkably quiet. Not to mention she never left Martha's side.

"Of course they are," Martha snapped, grip on her machete tightening. "I heard splashing and screaming. Come on."

A small pond was in front of them, silver in the moonlight. Derek and John had been over here; she could hear their rambunctious laughter and splashing as they hunted. Those two had always been too interested in the hunt…rivaled only by their cousin Daniel, who liked to force himself on the women he hunted. Martha was glad he wasn't around.

"Derek? Jon?" she called, but no one answered. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her walkie-talkie. "Jon, this is Martha, come in, over." When nobody answered, she said it again. No answer, still.

Sighing, she began to walk into the water. "Come on."

"What?" Maria said, incredulous. "We have to…go out?"

"Yes, you idiot. Come on."

"But…it's wet."

 _You make me want to cut you sometimes._ "We'll be in and out. Let's go."

"F-Fine."

They got knee-deep when they found the first body; a woman, with short brown hair and pale skin. She had been an addict, they could see; the marks on her exposed arm proved it. Her chest and stomach were covered with bullet-holes—Jon and Derek's work, no doubt.

"Where could those idiots have gone?" She reached into her pocket and pulled out her walkie-talkie again. "Jon, come in, over."

"What was that?" Maria said.

"What was what?"

She pointed. "Over there. I heard something."

Martha pulled out her flashlight and began to walk toward where her sister had pointed. The water was up to her waist now, and beginning to warm. _Did the druggie piss herself?_ Most people did when they died. Still, it never stopped disgusting her.

"I don't see…any…thing…" But now she did: two men, dark blonde hair, blue and green eyes, and pale faces. "Jon…Derek…" Derek's chest was ripped to shreds, almost like someone had shot him, while Jon's throat had been cut so deep he had nearly been decapitated. "Who could have—"

There was a loud splash behind her, and Maria shrieked. Martha whirled, but didn't see anyone. "Maria? _MARIA?_ " She began to walk back toward the shore, machete in hand. A few seconds later, something floated to the surface.

"Maria…"

Her sister's neck had been broken, wide eyes staring up at nothing. A sudden fury filled Martha's being. " _I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"_ she screamed. " _YOU HEAR ME? I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"_

Just then, the water in front of her exploded. Martha slashed at it, but the person who had killed her sister twisted out of the way, grabbed her arm, and forced her under the water. She had lost her blade in the struggle, so all she could do was try and kick, but the boy with the haunting yellow eyes held her under, fist clenching her hair as he forced her down.

Her breath was running out, and she could feel her body begging to breath. She tried to force herself up, but the hand pushed down harder, and her mouth opened. She swallowed a bit before she forced her mouth shut again, but her lungs were burning. Her mouth opened on its own, but when she sucked in a breath, only water went down her gullet. Tears sprang to her eyes, which were then swallowed. _I'm dying,_ was all she could think.

She tried to cry out for anyone—for her sister, her mother who had died birthing her, her father who hated her, her cousins, brothers, nephews, nieces, anyone…but no one came.

The last thing she felt as she died was her bladder running, and urine filled the water with warmth.

-o-

I wringed out my shirt before throwing it back on. My knife was still at my hip, but I had stashed the rifle in a nearby tree. I shimmied up it quickly, taking care to make sure all of the bullets—there were only three left—were secured. A little to the left of me, there was more screaming and gunfire. Through the trees, I could see three people walking away. Since they had weapons and were laughing, I assumed they were hunters. I raised the rifle and fired. One of the hunter's neck exploded in a red liquid burst. _Nine._

The second shot found the second hunter's chest before they had time to fully turn around. _Eight._ The final hunter had raised her gun at my tree when my bullet—the last one—found her temple. She shuddered for a moment, then fell. _Seven._ I threw the gun over my shoulder (no use for it now) and climbed down the tree.

My skin was tingling. It had been so long since I hunted anything—that time with Daphne didn't count; she had been doing most of the hunting, I had just been supervising—that I had almost forgotten what it felt like. It felt…good…to kill again. I knew that that sounded awful, but I didn't even care. I felt _alive_.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

The voice was female, and borderline desperate. I ran toward the voice, even though it could have been a trap. _Let them try and kill me._ I was fast enough to dodge a bullet, agile enough to avoid their blades, and strong enough to overpower most of them.

The girl's screams came from just through a patch of bushes. A rushed through them, to find a fat man with a balding head forcing a girl onto her stomach, pulling her pants down to her ankles.

My stomach turned. _Oh, gods…_ Bad enough they had to hunt and kill us, but…this? _No,_ I thought, teeth grinding, _this ends now._ Ten quick strides and I pulled the man off of her. He turned, confused, and I shoved my knife between his legs. He gasped and stumbled back, holding his crotch, red blood running between his fingers.

I was on him instantly, pounding him across the face again and again, feeling as his nose burst and his cheeks puffed, but I didn't stop. These _animals_ didn't deserve mercy, or a quick death. I hit him again and again, brushing off his hands as he tried to defend himself. I kept hitting him until I felt his skull crack and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He died as he lived—an ugly, disgusting freak who smelled like rotten onions. _Eight._

"Are you…" I turned, but the girl was gone. "…okay?"

-o-

The tugging in my gut was getting stronger; I would have thought I was sick if not for the fact that most half-bloods barely ever caught diseases—our immune systems are too powerful, Apollo had said. Comes from our godly blood. My mouth twisted. _Don't think about Apollo. If you do, you'll get angry, and then you'll make mistakes._

Speaking of blood, the taste of it filled my mouth, but when I reached inside the only liquid was my own spit. _No internal bleeding…I hope…so what's the deal with—_

I heard something rustling in the bushes to my right. I unsheathed the knife I'd stolen and walked forward, but then I felt something cold press against the back of my skull.

"Don't move." The voice was deep, and angry. I raised both my hands up.

"What's going on, Jim?" asked a nearby bush. I was confused, until the bush stood up. _Camouflage._ The speaker—a woman—was also holding a gun. "Why'd you come out?"

"He has Alex's knife." The man reached around me and pulled the knife from my fingers. "How'd you get it?"

"Believe me if I said he gave it up?" I said with a smirk.

I heard a metal click, and knew he was fingering the trigger. "No. Where're my kin, boy?"

"What makes you think I know anything about where they are?"

"You got one o' my brother's knives and you're covered in blood. Not to mention we can't raise any o' 'em on the radio."

"I've killed six of you—well, soon to be eight—but I don't know about the other seven. They'll be soon, though."

The woman raised her gun to me. "I don't think so, bastard."

I tightened my leg muscles, ready to spin out of the way and hope one of them killed the other by accident…

…when the sound of growling rolled over us.

From out of the shadows came half a dozen four-legged creatures, eyes glowing in the darkness, moonlight glinting off their fur. I cursed. _Damn you, Lycaon._ Then I noticed the largest one.

" _Winter?_ "

The large wolf's white fur glowed in the light, her light blue eyes shining dangerously. She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

The man cursed and moved his gun. "What the hell…?" The woman backed up toward him, gun shaking. I felt a bug hand on my back shove me forward. _They're trying to use me as a shield,_ I thought, smiling. _They think Winter and the others will try and eat me, but they don't know the truth._

Slowly, I walked forward. Winter looked at me as I approached, lips pulled back, blood-red. _Looks like I found out where the others went._ Suddenly I understood why my mouth tasted like blood.

When I reached them, I held my hand out. "Hey, girl."

Winter stopped growling, and licked my hand.

"What the…?"

The man and woman were stunned, eyes wide. I smiled at them. "You wanted to know where your kin are…well, I'm about to reunite you. Winter, sick 'em."

The two were too stunned to react in time, as the wolves rushed in.

-o-

 _One._

The old man was the only one who was still alive. It had been several hours, but the hunt was winding down. _How many of us are left? How many of us have you killed? Am I the only one, or have the others fled? It doesn't matter, I suppose. It's just you and me that matters, old man._

Winter and the others moved next to me, as they had a dozen times before. It felt so good to be back with them. She nudged my leg and whined, and I knelt down to grab her face and nuzzle her, rubbing our foreheads together. "Nice to see you too, pretty puppy." I kissed her nose and stood back up. "We can't leave yet, though. Still need to find the old man, then track down Mel, Jay, and Daphne. Think you can do that?"

Winter raised her head and howled, and her pack answered the call. Together, they bounded off into the trees. I laughed and followed, easily keeping pace with them. We came upon a small hill that sloped at a steep angle, and at the bottom was the old man, two large hunting dogs at his side, sniffing the ground eagerly.

"Stay here," I commanded, and began to slide down the hill.

The old man's dogs raised their heads and started barking, saliva running down their lips. The old man raised his rifle to my head.

"You're the last one," I said, walking toward him.

He regarded me with cold green eyes. "What?"

"You're the last one left. I've killed everyone else. They're all dead. Everyone but you."

He frowned. "I don't believe you."

"You should. Look into my eyes. I killed them all, cut their throats, broke their necks, drowned them, and beat them. They're gone. Your family is history, old man."

He went pale, throat working. Then he scowled, and cocked his shotgun. "I'm going—"

"—to die. I'm going to kill you, and everyone else who's left. Every single one of them. That's a promise. You made a mistake when you took us captive. You left me _alive._ I'm the hunter. I'm _always_ a hunter. And you are a victim.** And when you meet the devil in Hell, you tell him that Hunter Marcus sends his regards."

The old man growled. "Rip him!"

I whistled. "Winter."

The wolves fell upon the dogs before they could reach me, tearing and biting at them. The dogs tried to fight them off, but the wolves outnumbered them three-to-one, and they were quickly bested. The old man raised his gun, but I spun out of the way and grabbed the gun, pulling it from his grasp. I hit him with it so hard I broke his nose, sending him to the ground.

I straddling him and wrapped my arms around his neck. "I'm going to kill them," I whispered. "Every single one. Your game ends here." Then I twisted, and felt his neck snap. He fell from my arms, stiff and lifeless. _Zero. A quicker end than you deserved, you filthy snake._

I put two fingers into my mouth and whistled. Winter and the others walked up to me, fur bloody and teeth red. "You okay?" She whined and nuzzled my leg. "Good. I need you to track something for me." I held out my hand. "Smells like me. Can you do it, girl?" With any luck, the vile bitch was still wearing my jacket.

Winter took a sniff, lifted her nose into the air, and pointed with her muzzle. "Come on, then," I said, beginning to run. "We've got some friends to save."

-o-

The moon was beginning to dip when the house came into view. Two floors, red shutters, a bright red door, and a porch with two chairs on it. It would've been cozy if it weren't about to be the sight of a massacre.

 _Every last one. I made a promise._

"Hide," I told the wolves, and they hurried off. Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door. I heard someone say through the door, "Pa and the others, are back!" The doorknob turned, and a voice said, "Hey, Pa—"

I shoved the door open, driving my knife deep into the man's chest. He was the one from the motel, the one who drugged us. His eyes widened and he fell when I twisted the knife free.

Behind him, someone shrieked. The girl who stole my jacket had rushed to the coffee table that stood in the middle of the living room and picket up a large gun. I ran over to her and pushed the gun away from me. The shot that resulted from out struggle was deafening, but I twisted harder and pulled the gun away.

"Please don't shoot me!" she begged, arms raised.

I cocked it. "Take off that jacket."

She did. "Please don't shoot me," she said again.

I lowered the gun. "I won't."

"R-Really?"

"Really. I'm gonna do exactly what I told you I'd do if you pointed that gun at me again."

Her eyes widened. "No!" She tried to say more, but I had already smashed my gun into her temple, driving her to the ground. I hit her again and again, then again and again, until she stopped moving and her head was a mess of bone and brain.

 _Every last one. I made a promise._

Someone screamed and suddenly I was pulled off my feet and lifted into the air. The other man from the van had seized my arm and leg and had lifted me over his head. He slammed me to the ground, nearly winding me. He raised his foot, but I twisted and knocked him off his feet. I reached for the gun and put it to his head. "Where are my friends?"

"T-The basement," he said, pointing.

"Thank you." I pulled the trigger.

I advanced toward the basement door, sliding the gun into my pocket and putting my jacket back on. Before I could reach it, however, I heard faint whispering from behind a side-door. I opened it to find a child's bedroom, with two small children, a boy and a girl, holding each other. The boy couldn't have been older than five, while the girl looked to be about seven. _No older than Daphne._

They were whimpering, holding each other and crying. I began to close the door, when I remembered something.

 _Every last one. I made a promise._

 _I'm a man of my word,_ I said, walking into the room.

-o-

"Hunter!"

The room was medium-sized, with human cages lining the wall; thirty in total, if I were to hazard a guess. A middle-aged woman with black hair and green eyes was holding Daphne at gunpoint, eyes angry and tear-filled.

"Don't move," she hissed, voice sharp, "or I'll kill her." Near her, and old woman was shaking in one of the corners. _The old man's wife._

I raised the gun and cocked it. "If you do, I will make your death as slow and excruciating as possible. I promise you that."

She sniffed. "You killed everyone, didn't you?"

"Every one. You two are the only ones left."

She took a deep breath. "Then it's done. No more hunting. No more killing. I'll let her go, and you let us go. Deal?"

I thought about it for a moment. "Deal."

She breathed a sigh of relief and let Daphne go. The little girl ran to me, crying, and hid behind my legs.

"The key's over there," the woman said, pointing at a key-rack on the wall. "Now you'll—"

I pulled the trigger, and her eyes went wide before she fell to the ground, a large pool of blood beginning to form.

"Angela, _nooo,_ " the old woman cried, going to the fallen woman. She cradled her in her arms, sobbing. "You said you'd let her go."

"I lied." I pressed the barrel of the gun to the old woman's head and pulled the trigger.

I knelt down and pulled Daphne to me. "You okay?"

"No," she sobbed. "I wanna go h-home."

"I know, little one, I know," I said, holding her tighter as she sobbed into my chest in that house full of dead people and horrors. When Daphne's sobs had subsided into hiccups, I brushed her tears away with my thumb. "Come on. Help me with Jay and Mel and we can go."

The drugs were still in full effect, so we had to drag-slash-carry them up the stairs and out the door. We put them down on the lawn in front of the house and went back to retrieve our things. "We'll wait here for a little while longer; if they don't wake up on their own we'll have to wake them up ourselves," I said, looking at Mel and Jay's unconscious bodies.

"Mm-hmm," Daphne whispered, eyes downcast.

I rubbed circles on her back. "This was…a really shitty day, Daph, I know. But…at least it can't get much worse, eh?"

She wiped her nose with a sleeve. "Guess not."

I planted a kiss on her forehead. "We'll be okay, Daph. That's a promise. Tomorrow we'll—"

"ARGH!"

Strong hands wrapped around my neck and hauled me to my feet, cutting off my airway.

"Hunter!"

"You ruined everything!" the person holding me said. "You took my brother from me, Diomedes! I'll kill you for that."

 _Pelops,_ I thought, then gasped when he tightened his hold on me. Daphne had her bow in hand, arrow notched.

"Let him go!"

"Call her off, or I'll kill her," he snarled in my ear.

I felt him loosen his grip just a bit, and I choked out, "Winter!"

He tightened his hold again, making me claw at his arms to make him release me, but he didn't. "Last breath wasted on a stupid sentence. You really are stupid, Dio—argh!" Something made him stumble and drop me.

I rolled away from him, knife in hand. Winter and her wolves were all around him, biting and barking. He tried to hit them away, but they dodged just in time.

"Away!" I cried, and they obeyed. I rushed forward, plunging my knife into his neck. He grabbed at his flesh, choking on his own blood. When he went still, I breathed a sigh of relief. _Now only Lycaon remains._

Winter turned and growled. I put a hand on her head. "Easy, girl. That's Daphne, she's a friend."

Daphne was looking on in shock, bow at her side. I gave her a comforting smile. "It's okay, Daph. This is Winter. That's Stalker, Sly, Diana, Corvin, and Spot. Guys, this is Daphne. She's a friend."

"T-They're wolves."

"They are. You wanna pet 'em."

She inched forward, hesitant. "They won't bite, will they?"

"No," I promised.

Daph reached forward and ran a hand along Winter's fur. The big wolf cooed and nuzzled Daphne's hand. She giggled and said, "Pretty."

"Indeed she is," I said, running a hand along Winter's back. "Come on, let's go a little farther down road. This place makes me want to vomit."

* * *

* I don't know why, but whenever I imagined this guy I always pictured Charles Dance. It's weird, I know, but what can you do?

** Artemis said the same thing to Actaeon when he saw her naked. (Check Artemis's Riordan Wiki page if you don't believe me.) I thought that, given the context, this would be a nice little parallel between Hunter and Artemis.

A/N: Thanks for reading, guys, I really appreciate it. Before I go, a lot of you have been asking for more Artemis/Hunter moments, so I just want to make you all aware that Artemis _will_ be showing up within the next few chapters, and she and Hunter will have a _lot_ to talk about, so get excited for that.

Please leave reviews telling me what you thought, and I will see you all next time.

Bye!


	23. Chapter 23

**The Hunter's Heir:**

 **Chapter Twenty-Three: A Long-Time Coming**

I was standing at the edge of a cliff, overlooking a sea of darkness. Grey mist hung in the air, ice-cold and dreary. When I looked down at myself, I was different. Younger. Smaller. I was wearing a bushy coat and pants, but my cheeks were flushed from the cold. I backed away from the edge of the cliff, afraid, when a soft hand pressed against my lower back.

"Where are you going?"

I turned back; a face with silver-gold eyes and auburn hair looked down on me. "Artemis?"

"Where are you going?" she asked again.

I spun away, then took four steps back, away from the cliff, away from danger. "I don't like it here. I want to go home." I could see it—the small cabin in the middle of nowhere, a fire in the hearth, with Apollo making dinner. Apollo…where was…?

"Where's Apollo?"

"Apollo isn't here, child," Artemis said. She began to walk toward me. I tried to back up, but my feet were frozen to the ground. "Come with me, I'll look after you."

"No," I said, but she kept coming, "go away, I don't want you."

"What you want is not important," she said. She seized my wrist with her hand and began to pull. "You need to _open your eyes._ "

"My eyes are open!" A rush of panic surged through me when I realized she was dragging me toward the cliff's edge. I began to fight back, but her grip was like steel. "Let me go, let me go! You're _hurting_ me!"

"You must be strong for your journey," she said. "The Labyrinth will not allow weakness."

"Winter!" I called, desperate. "Apollo! Leto! _Someone!_ " I felt tears beginning to fall, but they froze to my cheeks and hung there, making it hard to see. I was struggling, dragging my heels in the snow, but she was stronger than me, and her grip didn't let up.

"You have to open your _eyes_ ," she said, and flung me from the cliff.

I screamed, but the air rushing past my ears made it impossible to hear anything. I tried to open my eyes, but the wind stung and they closed again. The air was cold and harsh, and my stomach was moving into my throat, making it hard to breathe.

"Fly," a voice said, old and weathered.

I forced my eyes open and looked up. A black crow was spiraling after me, beady black eyes watching as I fell.

"Help me!" I shouted. I wanted to cry.

"I am trying," the crow said. "Do not cry. Fly."

"I can't." I remembered a time when Leto caught me climbing too high. She had screamed, her voice high and shrill, and demanded I come down. When I refused not to go up so high again, she showed me a clay man dressed up in clothes. She threw him off the roof and told me that would happen if I fell. I laughed and said, "I'm not gonna fall, silly."

 _I am falling._ "Please. I can't fly."

"You can. It's not so hard. Look at me." It flew in circles over my head, cawing.

"I don't have wings."

"Don't you?"

I looked down at my hand, flexing my fingers. _Just skin and bones._

"There are other kinds of wings, child," the voice said.

"Why won't you help me?" I pleaded, tearful.

"I am. I am teaching you to fly."

"I can't!"

"You are."

"I'm _falling_!"

"Every flight begins with a fall. The difference is what comes after. Will you fly, or will you die? Look down."

"But I—"

" _LOOK DOWN!_ "

I did. I could see the ground now. Blue-white spikes rose from the earth, like upside-down icicles. Bones were caught on them, bodies impaled, eyes wide. The bodies and bones of dreamers, like me. People who had fallen, instead of flown.

"Let go," the crow said. "Like you do when you dream. When you enter Winter, your mind leaves your body. Bring your body with you now. Imagine yourself as a bird, as one who can fly."

I closed my eyes and concentrated I imagine myself not as me, but as a crow, able to fly high and never fear falling. When I opened them again, I was. I spread my wings and soared. "I'm flying!"

"Indeed you are, child." There was a hint of pride in the bird's voice. "Follow me."

We began to fly; over the icicles, through an empty forest in winter. Trees surrounded us, protruding like old wrinkled fingers. "Why am I here?"

"You must be warned. As we speak, forces are gathering that seek you harm." An image flashed through my mind—I saw a large ship, with a tall blonde boy at its helm, a golden sarcophagus behind him.

"Luke!" I called, remembering. _Where is he? What's going on?_ I felt cold, like a snowball was melting against my lower back.

"The Titan Lord's servants grow in number, recruiting more each day."

An image of Anna floated before me, flanked by six other half-bloods. "I looked for you at the Labyrinth," she said.

"We weren't there," someone said, out of sight.

"You wouldn't be standing here if we had been," someone else said.

"We don't kneel to the likes of you," said a third person.

Anna scowled and turned away. The image faded.

"Your friends seek to stop them," the crow said, "but they will not be enough." An image of Percy and Annabeth standing on an island floated before us. Sheep were everywhere, and a golden tarp hung from a tree. _The Golden Fleece,_ I realized. _They did it!_

"Pieces beyond count are being moved into play…"

 _I am Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus._

 _You could be so much more; greater than Artemis and I put together!_

… _hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap…_

 _You are…nothing like Hercules._

 _Promise me, Hunter._

"…and if you hope to stand a chance, you must unlock your gifts."

"How?"

"You must find me."

"Where?"

"Here." We had arrived at a massive tree, its leaves all fallen out and dead. A hole in the bark large enough for a person to fit opened into a long tunnel. Through twists and turns we soared, until we came upon a vast chamber. The roots of the great tree coiled like snakes over the ground. The crow flew into them, and only when I got closer did I realize there was a person inside.

Old and wrinkled, she had ash-grey hair that fell to her waist. She was sitting on a make-shift throne, vines and roots growing out of her. Her eyes were red-green, and she fixed them on me. "You must find me," she said, teeth rotten and yellow. "Only together can we unlock your potential."

"I don't—"

"You must go now. The wolf draws near."

"What are you—" A sudden gust of wind pushed me back, and when I opened my eyes I was being shaken awake.

"Come on!" Mel was crouched over me, shaking my shoulder. "Wake up!"

I blinked and sat up, worried. "What's going on?"

"We need to go," she said. "Lycaon's coming!"

-o-

We made it about a hundred feet before the first werewolf leapt out at us. I managed to roll out of the way, but the wolf was on me, snapping its long jaws. Winter caught it from the side and spun away, snarling.

"No choice," I called. "Here they come!"

Shadows charged from all sides. We formed a tight circle, with several of our own wolves between us and the dark beasts. After all this time, we were a well-oiled machine, aware of ourselves and each other.

"Knives!" I called, just as they charged.

The silver caught the light of the moon as it slid from its sheath with a soft hiss. The first werewolf made the mistake of thinking it was celestial bronze, and was killed for it.

"Above us!" Mel called, and I turned in time to see a werewolf leaping from an incline down at us. I threw myself to the side and avoided it. Jay knocked it aside easily with his foot, his great strength launching it back several feet.

Across from us, Mel was letting Daphne use her shoulder as a springboard to launch herself into one of the threes, scrambling up it easily. _She looks like a little monkey._ Mel unsheathed her sword, the blade catching fire, becoming a whirl of flame as she moved, her silver knife in her off-hand.

Off to my left, Stalker and Sly were dealing with a few werewolves, biting and tearing at them, while Winter chased another around a tree, teeth golden from dust. The others were forming a circle around Jay, protecting him.

Another wolf ran at me, but an arrow caught it in its eyes and it fled, whining. "Thanks, kid!" I yelled up at Daphne, who waved back.

"Where are they coming from?" Jay said, dodging and weaving around wolves, spear in hand.

"I don't know," I said, frowning. "And where's your knife?"

"One of the little bastards took it."

" _How?_ "

"I managed to get it in its side, but it spun away and took my knife with it."

I cursed, then shouted, "Jay, Mel, on me. Don't let them separate us."

"On it!"

They managed to fight their way to my side, each of us hacking and slashing. Jay's shield knocked a wolf away, and Mel's sword lit one on fire.

"Mel," I said, "can you give us some breathing room?"

"I'll try!" She lifted her sword in the air and twirled it like a conductor over her head. The flames quickly formed a circle around us, spinning white-hot. Any dogs that were caught in the impact fled, yelping and in pain. Breathing room was granted.

I let out a breath. "Thanks, Mel, you—"

A figure appeared, walking as though shrouded in mist. He was dressed in animal skin, eyes glowing red. I knew him at once. "Lycaon."

"Son of Artemis." He looked me up and down; I shivered. "You do not look like much."

"That's what Broetas and Pelops thought too. They're dead now."

"Oh, what a pity." He didn't sound very sad. "Those lumps couldn't drown a kitten in the ocean."

"Why would you drown a kitten?" Daphne asked, still in her tree.

Lycaon ignored her. "Come with me now, son of Artemis, and I will let your friends go. You have my word."

"The word of a coward, and a murderer."

He smiled. "Murderer? Is it murder to rid the world of you half-blood whelps?"

"Yes."

"Well, then, it looks like I'm about to _murder_ three more whelps. You're coming with me, boy. Kill the rest," he told his pets. They charged.

Lycaon moved faster than the rest, grabbing me by my neck and throwing me across the forest. "Hunter!" Mel called, then grunted as another wolf attacked her.

"You think you're strong?" Lycaon wrapped a hand around my leg and swung me around once, twice, thrice, then threw me at a tree, I braced myself with my arm, then cried out when I felt a pop and heard a _snap_.

"You're not." A hand grabbed me by the hair and pulled me up. Lycaon hit me hard enough to crack several of my teeth and nearly break my nose.

My knives were gone; wrenched from my grip when he threw me. I threw a punch at his face, but he caught it and twisted my wrist until it snapped. I cried out in pain, and he elbowed my jaw. I fell to the ground, grass in my mouth and nose; it tickled. _Is this how I die?_

Feet away, Winter was grappling with a large black werewolf, and Diana and Sly were fighting too. I didn't see any other of my pack though. _Where did they go?_ Mel was on the ground as well, Jay standing over her, bleeding from cuts and gashes. Four werewolves were throwing themselves at Daphne's tree, trying to shake her out of it; she was firing arrows down at them, but they weren't doing much.

I braced my hands and tried to push myself up, but Lycaon put a foot on my back and pushed me to the ground. "Try again, little boy," he laughed. "We're going to take our time. First we'll kill the boy and girl, then we'll turn the little whelp into one of us. Then we're going to bring you to Niobe and—"

 _AaaaaaaRRRRRRRRooooooooooooooooooo._

Lycaon froze, his head snapping back and forth, eyes wide with panic. "No…" The wolves attacking Jay had frozen as well, and the son of Hera was looking around, confused.

AaaaaaaaaRRRRRRRRRRRRRooooooooooooooooooooo.

"Curse you!" Lycaon screamed. The sound was coming from all around us now; long and deep, with a voice that made my bones vibrate. Lycaon removed his foot and stepped back, scanning the forest.

AaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Something silvery and quick struck out, piercing Lycaon's shoulder. He screamed and staggered back, the wound smoking. More arrows were being fired, the snap of bow strings and fletching. They struck from the shadows, hitting the wolves in the sides, face, and eyes, dissolving them into puddles of black mist.

I was crawling toward Jay and Mel, then forcing myself onto my knees and then feet, internally screaming as white-hot pain shot up my leg. I must have twisted my ankle at some point.

"Damn you!" Lycaon was screaming, silver arrows making him look like a porcupine. "Damn you, damn you, damn you!" His cries fell silent when a shaft of moonlight pierced his heart, and he dissolved like the rest of his kin.

Then they appeared—two dozen girls dressed in silver jackets with silver bows in hand, knives and swords sheathed at their sides. One girl with dark skin and hair, wearing a silver band on her head, looked over us. "Four half-bloods, my lady."

"Yes, Zoe, I see." My hand coiled into a fist at the sound of that voice. _Come to finish me off?_ Winter came over and began to sniff at me, whimpering. I put a hand on her head to calm her.

"Hey, girl. Where's…" My voice trailed off when I saw there were less than four wolves left, Winter included. "Oh, girl…" They had been my family, my pack, and now they were gone.

The dark-skinned girl looked over at me. She raised an eyebrow.

"Zoe Nightshade," I said, recalling the time I had saved her life.

"…Do I know thee?" she said, looking annoyed.

I was shocked. How could she have forgotten who I was? She would have been an ice cube in some cave if I hadn't saved her! "I—"

"Phoebe," called Artemis, goddess of the Hunt; she was standing over Mel, looking concerned. _More concern than she ever showed me._ Jay was off to the side, leaning against a tree, bleeding, with Daphne at his side. He must have helped her down at some point. "Get some nectar and ambrosia. Zoe, set up ca—" Her voice broke off when she saw me, eyes wide.

"At once, my lady," Zoe said, moving quickly like the trained dog she was.

Winter nudged me forward, and my knees buckled. Something caught me as I fell, and I saw silver-gold eyes looking at me with concern. She was small, no older than twelve or thirteen, with auburn hair and a silver jacket. "Careful now," she was saying, smiling, "easy, like that." She helped me move to a sitting position, then lifted a bottle of nectar to my lips. I coughed, unable to drink and breathe at the same time.

I sputtered a little more before grabbing the bottle from her hands and drinking deep. It tasted like apple pie and vanilla ice cream. I felt warm fingers brush against my hands and saw Artemis leaning close to me—maybe a little closer than necessary.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered.

I pulled my hand away and got to my feet. "Kicked out of camp," I said bluntly, shoving the bottle back at her.

She looked surprised. "What? Why would you be kicked out of camp?"

"Does it matter?" I asked. "Not like you care." I left her before she could respond. Mel and Jay were standing off to one side, talking in quiet tones.

"Hey."

"Hey," Mel said.

"How are you holding up?"

She shrugged. "Pretty good. One of those girls gave me some nectar and all was good. No bites. Here." She handed me my knives.

"Thanks."

"Who are these guys?" asked Jay.

"The Hunters of Artemis," I said. "Artemis's personal fan club."

"Artemis?" He looked over my shoulder. "You mean the girl you were talking to was—"

"—Artemis, yes."

"Well, that's a good thing, right? I mean, if your mom—"

"She isn't my mom," I said.

He looked confused. "What do you mean—?"

"I mean, she's like my Hera."

"Oh." His face twisted in disgust. "Yeah, I get it."

"Where's Daphne?"

"Went off with one of the other girls," Mel explained. "What's their deal? They keep giving us these looks."

"They're giving _him_ looks," I said, pointing at Jay. "These girls hate dudes. Like, seriously hate them."

"Why?"

"Because he's a guy. Artemis is the goddess of women and children, so she only takes maidens on as Hunters, and they don't interact with men unless they have to. Since they mostly deal with gods and nature spirits, their opinions of men aren't that great."

Mel frowned. "That's kind of sexist."

"Oh, yeah," I agreed. "They also don't allow romantic attachment, so…"

"No thank you," she said. "Dealing with monsters all the time and living in woods? That's what we do _now._ "

"Yeah, I—"

"Excuse me." One of the Hunters—a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes—had her arms crossed and was standing a few feet away from us. "We'll be serving food in a few moments if you want to join us."

A circle of silver tents had been set up in, with a fire roaring in the center. Wolves circled the tents, maintaining a watchful eye on the tree line.

"Sure," I said to the Hunter, "thanks…uh, what's your name?"

"Marcella."

"Thanks, Marcella." She gave me a dirty look and walked off.

"She was pleasant," Mel muttered.

"Get used to it," I muttered, "and keep your weapons ready. Odds are, things won't go well for us."

"When do they ever?" Jay said.

"Good point." I looked at Mel. "Why don't you do most of the talking? It'll be easier that way."

She nodded. "Fine."

They served us rabbit, noodles, and potatoes. Neither Artemis nor Daphne had appeared yet, but most of the girls were still there; a few were still circling around, sweeping the perimeter.

"So," said a girl with nut-brown skin and hair, "what are your names?"

"I'm Melony," Mel said, speaking for us, "this is Jason, and this is Hunter."

A few girls scoffed at that, but one of them leaned forward. "You look familiar."

"I helped you hunt down some giants two years ago. You're name's Phoebe."

She snapped. "Oh yeah! Don't know how I didn't recognize you; I mean, not every boy we meet has a giant wolf at his side."

I ran a hand through Winter's fur. "She's unique."

"I'll say. So what are you guys doing here? We're a few thousand miles from New York; hard to just stumble out here."

We all shared a look. "We're going to spread my grandmother's ashes," Mel said. "She always wanted to be laid to rest in California, so I'm taking the initiative."

"What about your parents?" asked one girl.

"What parents?" That shut them up.

"Where's Daphne?" I asked. _If they did something to her, I swear to gods…_

"She is speaking with Lady Artemis," said Zoe, scraping some of the bones and fat into the fire and murmuring a blessing to Artemis. We shared an exasperated look. "She will be along shortly."

 _She'd better,_ I thought.

"Catch," someone said, and tossed a wooden spoon to the girl at my left. She dodged and it hit me in the forehead. There were a few chuckles, but Mel and Jay were stone-faced. _At least they won't mock me._

"Sorry," said the girl to my left, smiling, as she picked up the spoon.

"No you're not, you—"

" _Penelope,_ " said Artemis, voice cold as ice. All snickers stopped. _Cowards._ "These are our guests, you will treat them with respect. Is that clear?"

"Yes, my lady," said Penelope, looking abashed.

Artemis walked around the circle, coming to stand behind me. "May I have a word?"

"You may not," I said, "but I appreciate your manners. Shame your girls can't seem to follow your example."

The mood around the fire got dangerously low. More than a few Hunters sent me glares, but I ignored them. Mel bumped my knee in approval.

"Please?" she asked, though there was some sternness in her voice.

 _You're gonna need to try harder than that._ "I said, no. I know it isn't something you're used to hearing, but we can't have everything we want, can we?" _All I wanted was a mother, but you never even tried to be one. Well, your little abomination isn't going to waste his time anymore._

" _Now._ "

I rolled my eyes and stood. "Fiiine." I tossed my scraps to Winter, who gobbled them up easily. As Artemis led me away, I saw Mel being taken aside by Zoe.

Artemis led me a good thirty feet away from the circle. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm talking to you instead of eating. I think it's obvious which one I'd rather be doing."

"I mean, what are you doing _here_? Why aren't you at Camp Half-Blood."

"I got kicked out."

" _What!"_

"I. Got. Kicked. Out. Someone as old as you should really understand English by now. Maybe invest in some hearing aids?"

Her fists were clenched at her sides. "Why are you acting like this?"

I covered my mouth with a hand. "Oh, how could I have forgotten?" I bowed like a performer. "Hello, Lady Artemis, what can I do to serve you? Tell me, and your wish is my command!" I straightened up. "Is that what you're used to hearing?"

"Stop it!"

"Stop what?"

"This!" She gestured at me. "Why are you acting like such a child? Talk to me."

That was it; the dam broke. _"Talk to you? Are you kidding me?_ " I gestured at her. "You haven't talked to _me_ in two years. 'Hi, Hunter, I'm Artemis, the woman responsible for you being born. What's that, you have questions? Well, too bad! I'm off to spend time with my beloved Hunters while I ignore your very existence. Have a nice life!'"

She looked almost hurt. "That's not what I—"

"Do you have any idea what I've been up to? I helped Percy Jackson retrieve the Master Bolt from the Underworld! I got kicked out of camp because your father put Niobe's psychopath dad in charge. Oh, you didn't know Tantalus was Niobe's father? Because he is. Then she sent her brothers after me—I killed them, by the way—and then tried to sic Lycaon on us. All the while dealing with monsters and crazy mortals and everything in between. And not once did you even _try_ to establish contact. You know there are these things called dreams, right? A quick pop-in every few weeks or so would be fine, but _no_ , you couldn't be bothered. Not surprised, I guess. You wouldn't want to have to deal with some bastard boy anyway."

She flinched as if struck. "I don't think you're—"

"I don't care what you think. I don't care what you want. I don't care about _you._ " I turned around. "Now, if you'll excuse me, we need to get going."

I took one step before she grabbed my wrist and turned me around hard. "Where did you get this?" she asked, pulling my jacket sleeve down, revealing the mark on my skin.

I wrenched my arm away. "The Tooth Fairy."

She grabbed my collar and shook me. "Listen to me, boy, I am not playing games. Tell me where you got this. _Now!"_

"Or what?" I asked, pushing her away. "Are you gonna help me figure out what it means? Are you gonna act like a parent? There's a first time for everything."

"Boy, I will—"

"Or are you just going to call me an abomination, like everyone else?"

Silence.

"Who called you an abomination?" she asked in a small voice.

"Too many. I've heard it so much it's lost meaning. Listen to me, Artemis, and listen well—I'm going to turn around and walk away. After that, we don't speak or interact again. Understand? Just like you wanted."

"But I—"

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

I turned around, alarmed. "Mel?" I ran toward the sound of her voice, Artemis on my heels.

Zoe was on her back, her chest smoking. Mel's hands were clenched at her sides, and flickers of fire were dancing on her head. Jay was standing behind her, looking shocked. I shoved past a few of the Hunters and went to her side. "Mel, what's going on?" When I put a hand on her shoulder, I nearly burned myself.

"You…" she said, teeth clenched. "You've got some nerve! You're calling my friends selfish, but look at you! You're willing to leave them in the middle of nowhere just because they're men!"

"They are boys," Zoe said, pushing herself to her feet, "and they are holding you back."

Mel was shaking, eyes brimming with tears. "No, they aren't. They don't hold me back, they lift me up. I'd be _dead_ if not for them."

"They saved you because you were useful," Zoe said. "Not because they care for you."

"Are you freaking kidding me!" Jay said, taking a step forward. "Because we care is _exactly_ why we saved her. I don't know what happened to make you hate guys, lady, but don't let one shitty experience taint your view of us."

"Maybe she deserved it," I said. "I mean, maybe whatever he did was justified."

Zoe's face darkened. "You will be silent, _boy._ "

"No, Zoe, I don't think I will. What did she want, Mel?"

"To get me to join the Hunters like Daphne."

"Daphne?" I scanned the crowd and saw her, dressed in a silver jacket with a knife at her side. _Oh, Dot, no…_ I glared at Artemis. This was her fault, she talked her into it.

"Good call, not joining them, then. You'd have to be pretty stupid to want to join them." Daphne's face fell, and I saw her lip tremble. _You threw in with them,_ I thought. _We don't want anything to do with you_.

"You should learn thy manners, half-blood," Zoe spat.

"Sorry"—I looked at Artemis—"my mother wasn't around to teach me."

Zoe blinked, then looked between us. "What do you mean?"

I blinked. _She doesn't know. None of them do. She never told them._ Somehow that hurt more than anything else. _She really does hate you; enough to not tell anyone about you._ Strangely, I found myself laughing.

"She…she didn't…" I looked at Artemis, laughing. "You never _told_ them? Oh, oh that is priceless." I turned to Zoe. "Let's see if we can puzzle it out, eh?" I summoned my bow. "Look familiar?"

Her eyes went wide, as did every other Hunter's. "Impossible…How did you get that?"

"We're getting to it, just be patient. Let's see, I have a Hunter bow, I have a wolf companion, and my name is _Hunter._ Zoe, look at my eyes. Look familiar?"

I knew the moment she figured it out: her eyes went wide, and her breath seemed to leave her.

"You want to tell them, or should I?" I asked Artemis.

"Child…"

"You don't want to? Fine, not like you would tell them anyway."

"Be quiet…"

"Alright, ladies, listen up. I am…"

"Hunter!"

"…Artemis's son."

There were gasps, wide eyes, and lots of staring at Artemis and I. After a few long minutes of silence, Zoe said, "It does not matter."

"See, Artemis," I said, "they wouldn't have cared."

"You are rude, arrogant, disobedient, foolish, and an utter embarrassment to our lady. This will not stand."

"Oh, planning on doing something about us, then? Alright." I pulled out my knives. "You guys ready?"

"Oh yeah," Mel said, sword already out and on fire.

"I've been waiting for this," Jay said, pulling out his spear.

"Enough!" Artemis said. "Stand down!"

Her girls weren't listening to her; seven of them had already drawn daggers, and the rest had summoned their bows.

"Let's have some fun. Now, Melony!"

Mel plunged her sword into the ground, and the campfire exploded with life, shooting into the sky in a white-red beam that caused the surrounding grass to burst into flame. All the Hunters turned in shock.

As one, we turned and ran into the woods.

-o-

The California coast was beautiful, with a shining sun, clear blue water, and wind blowing, providing us with a gentle breeze. _Almost done,_ I thought. Everything in the last—week? Month? Gods, I don't even know—had led to this moment.

Mel told us where to go. A few other tourists were around, but no more than six or seven. Still, they were mostly down by the water. From the road there was a path that broke off into two—one going toward the beach, and the other up a cliff several stories high. Picnic tables had been set up next to the road, so you could eat while still being close to the beach. Winter and the other wolves had disappeared into the thick brush of trees across the road, likely hunting.

"Almost there," Mel muttered. She held the ashes to her chest, as though they would disappear.

"You okay?" I asked.

She nodded. "A little nervous, but…yeah, I'm okay."

"Good."

As we approached the stairs that led up the cliff, Jay grabbed my elbow. I looked back at him, confused, but he shook his head. It took me a moment, but I realized what he was saying.

"You guys coming?" Mel asked. She had stopped on the third step, and had turned around to look at us. The wind caught her hair, ruffling it slightly. _She is beautiful,_ I thought, though some part of me couldn't help comparing her to Anna.

"You go on ahead," Jay said. "Hunter and I…need to figure out where we're gonna go next."

"You sure?" she asked, though we could all feel her desire to be alone. This was _her_ time; we had no place in it.

"Yeah," I said, smiling. "You go on, Mel. We'll try not to kill each other till you get back."

Relief plain on her face, she said, "Thanks, guys," and hurried up the steps. Less than thirty seconds later, she was out of sight.

We took a seat at one of the picnic tables, staring at each other.

After a silent moment, I said, "It's done. Feels like it's been forever since I ran into you guys on the train. All this…Lycaon, Broetas and Pelops, those people hunters, losing Daphne…" That still stung, though it had been her choice. "Look, I'm just trying to say…thanks for sticking around."

He nodded. "Ditto. We'd probably have died several times over if it weren't for you, but…Hunter, I'm not trying to sound ungrateful, but—"

"—we can't continue like this. Don't look so surprised, I'm not an idiot." I held out my hands. "We can't keep running around the country, hoping we don't run into some monster we can't beat. There's no place safe for demigods but Camp Half-Blood."

"But you said—"

"I know what I said, Jay. But…there's no other place for us. We have to go back."

"Won't you—"

"—be kicked out again? Maybe. Or…"

"What? You've got a dangerous look in your eyes, Hunter."

"…we could take it over."

He blinked. "What?"

"Look, Tantalus is hated by pretty much everyone. If we can get rid of him, nobody'll be clamoring for his return. The only one who might be a problem is Mr. D, but there are ways to deal with him. Look, this is going to be a longshot, but I have a good feeling about this. I can't go through with this without you two; we're a team, I need your support."

He though about it for several minutes, then nodded and said, "Alright. I'm in."

I smiled. "Thanks, buddy."

A few seconds later, Mel walked down the steps. Her eyes were puffy and red, but she looked happy.

"Everything alright?" I asked as she sat down next to Jay.

She nodded. "Yeah. Everything's good. How about you guys?"

We told her about everything. When we were done, she was quiet for a little, then said, "I'm in too. When do we leave?"

"Right now, if it's alright," I said. "The sooner we get there, the better."

Jay nodded. "Agreed." He rose. "Let's go."

"Actually," Mel said, looking vulnerable. "Do you think we could stay—just for tonight, I mean. This place…feels right. I mean, the sun's setting, so…"

I nodded. "Alright. Yeah. We'll stay for the night, then leave first thing in the morning. Sound good to you, Jay?"

"Fine with me."

Mel's lip trembled. "Thanks."

We got the tents and everything set up in time for the sun to begin to meet the horizon. Jay and I managed to catch a few fish with our spears, and Mel got a fire going. We ate fish as the wolves returned, mouths red. They curled up at our feet and went to sleep, Winter's head in my lap.

Jay, Mel and I huddled together, facing the water. Melony reached over and took our hands, squeezing tight. "I just want you guys to know…how grateful I am you did this. You're some of the best friends I've ever had—not that that's saying much—but still. I love you guys."

I squeezed back. "Wouldn't trade this for the world."

Jay _smiled_ —yes, actually smiled—and said, "You'd do the same for us."

"Yeah," she said, "I would."

Together, we watched the sun sink below the water.

-o-

Niobe scowled and said, "We've got a problem."

Her partner glanced up at her, his eyes glowing in the darkness of the small cavern. Torches hung from the walls, giving the room a yellow-orange glow. "How so?" He was on one knee, polishing his massive bow—fancy and elaborate it was, with multiple strings running through a series of pulleys that look like miniature steam train wheels. The grip was polished celestial bronze, studded with dials and buttons.

"Lycaon failed."

"And your brothers?"

"Dead, by Hunter's hand."

She saw his lips curl into a smile. "It would seem that my son is more dangerous than you anticipated."

Niobe tried not to let her irritation show. _He thinks this is some game._ "He had help."

"From a little girl and two untrained demigods. Truly, a challenge we should fear."

"Artemis finished Lycaon."

That wiped his smile away. "Is she still with him?"

"No. It would seem that he hates her almost as much as you do."

"That's good." His smile was back. "I feared she would manage to sway him. That would have proved…troublesome."

"Indeed," Niobe agreed. "But they're on their own again. Heading to California, if I am right. But we don't have anyone to aid us now. My father's busy enough running that damned camp, and everyone else is dead. Everyone except…"

He understood her meaning. "Fine," he said, rising. He slung his quiver over his back. "I'll do it myself."

* * *

A/N: What did you guys think? Let me know. This chapter was a long-time coming, and I know it probably wasn't what you were expecting. All of you clamoring for Hunter/Artemis moments, don't worry. This is only the second of five acts. Hunter's relationship with Artemis will change, but it will take time. Just, please, be patient.

Also, who do you guys think Hunter's dad is? I think I made it pretty obvious, but if you guys don't know I'll leave it up in the air for a while longer.

Please favorite and follow, and have an amazing day.

Bye!


	24. Chapter 24

Fate96: It's been a long time since you update this story. Hope you will not abandon this story. I really enjoy this story and curious how this story will end. Please update soon. Thank you.

No, it has not been a long time since I updated this story. It's been just over a month. That's not a long time for me to update. In fact, that's a pretty standard update time for me. A long time would be four-five months. The only time's I'll be able to publish weekly or bi-weekly is when school gets out for a break. Also, I'm not abandoning this story, I will never abandon this story. I intend to see it through to the end. However, Fanfiction is not my prime motivator in life right now. I'm in the middle of college right now, so it's hard to find time to update. If you give me time, then I promise I'll finish this story. Thank you.

A/N: Alright, now that that's done, let's go.

* * *

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Twenty-Four: Home Sweet Home**

"How long till we get there?"

"Hard to say," I said. "If we're lucky, less than a day."

"Since when are we lucky?" Jay asked.

"Exactly. Odds are, we'll probably get there sometime in the late evening."

We had boarded a freight train in California and had been riding it for around two days. Right now we were riding through a large forest in a train car filled with shipping containers. Winter and the wolves were curled up in one corner, while we were all sitting in front of the open door, watching the forest go by.

"Wonderful," Mel said. "And what then?"

I shook my head. "No idea. If I were to hazard a guess I'd say—"

"What's that?" Jay asked, pointing.

We all looked. Something was approaching at a run from down the tracks, catching up. A lump formed in my stomach.

"I dunno." Mel stood and leaned out the door. "I might be—"

I yanked her back just in time to avoid the massive black arrow from skewering her. She landed on top of me with a grunt. "—trouble," I said, pushing her off me. "Winter, stay. Show time, a-holes." I grabbed hold of the upper frame of the door and used it to pull myself onto the roof. Jay followed quickly afterward, but Melony needed some help.

The figure was fast approaching, so we only had time to turn and draw our weapons before he leapt onto the train a few cars away from us. He was tall, handsome, and muscular. His skin was the color of toast, with dark hair that was undercut and swept into spikes on top. He was dressed in black leather breeches and a jerkin, with a hunting knife strapped to his waist.

"Hunter," Melony whispered, "he looks kinda like you."

I could see it too. I looked every bit his clone, but my hair was a little longer and my eyes were golden, which I'd gotten from Artemis—everything else was him, though.

His eyes, however, were completely different than anything else I'd ever seen. They looked like military night-vision goggles at first, but as he got closer I saw they were different—bronze mechanical eyes embedded in his sockets; they flicked between all of us, focusing rings spun and clicked, targeting lasers flashed red to green.

The bow in his hand was almost as fancy as his eyes. Strings ran through a series of pulleys resembling mini train wheels. The grip was bronze, with dials and buttons all along it.

He stopped at the edge of our train car, eyeing all of us. When his gaze fell to me, he smiled. "My boy," he said. "How long I've waited to finally see you."

"Who is this guy?" Jay asked.

I took a breath. "My father."

He blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"That is what you are, right? Or are you just some other giant weirdo with glowing eyes?"

He laughed. "I am indeed your father, Hunter. I'm surprised you recognize me; it's been so long."

"We've never met. The only reason I know you is because you look just like me and I've seen your face in my dreams before."

"You're wrong, Hunter. We have met. I came for you when you were a baby, over ten years ago."

I scowled. "Yeah right. I—" Suddenly an image popped into my head: two glowing eyes looking down on me from a whole in the roof. Leto was holding me to her, and I saw a flash of golden hair as the eyes vanished.

I gasped. "You…you came to the house."

He smiled. "You're finally starting to see. Yes, I did come to your home looking for you. Apollo managed to fight me off and erected a barrier around the perimeter. He's been manipulating you all your life, suppressing your memories and your abilities."

"You're lying."

"I'm not, I swear." He almost looked sympathetic. "That's what the gods do, Hunter. They cheat, they manipulate, they do whatever they need to do to get what you want. Apollo's been lying to you your whole life, and Artemis…" He sneered. "Artemis doesn't care about you. She _never_ cared about you."

Even though I knew that, it still hurt. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Alright—I can help you understand who you are."

"I know who I am."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, but I have no idea who you are. You act like you know Artemis and Apollo."

The lasers disappeared from my chest. "I do, son," he said. "I know them more than most."

"Who are you, then?"

"My name is Orion."

I blinked. "Like the constellation?"

"Yes."

"But…weren't you and Artemis, like, an item?"

He scowled. "No. I was born to kill her, Hunter. I am a Gigas. Do you know what that is?"*

I racked my brain. "Gigas…Gigas. Oh! Weren't they the children of Gaea and Tartarus?"

"Yes. We were born to kill the gods, but I rejected my destiny. While my brothers were fighting a losing war, I become the royal hunter of King Oinopion of Chios. However, I tried courting the king's daughter, Merope." He pointed to his eyes. "This is what he did to me. I was exiled, and stumbled, blind, around Greece, until I met Hephaestus. He took pity on me and gave me these eyes. I ended up on Delos, where I met Artemis." He sighed.

"Your mother was beautiful," Orion said. "Strong, brave, confident. She was the greatest woman I ever met.** She allowed me to join the Hunt, and I finally felt at home. Eventually we fell in love. But she had sworn to be an eternal virgin, and I respected that." He smiled at that. "If she hadn't, I'm sure there would have been a legion of our children running around."

I frowned, uncomfortable. "Sounds nice, but I prefer being an only child."

He laughed. "We were happy for a few years, until Apollo intervened." His smile disappeared. "He was convinced that I would trick his sister into giving up her vow of chastity. He cursed me with madness—a bloodlust to kill every wild thing on this earth. I slaughtered so many that my mother Gaea intervened. She sent a scorpion to kill me. But I was a Gigas, and returned from Tartarus after a few centuries.

"But when I returned, your mother…she scorned me! Claimed that she had never loved me, and that I had changed. When I attempted to reason with her, she and her Hunters struck me down." He clenched his fist. "When I returned again, I saw that I had been blinded by my love for her. No more. I swore I would stop at nothing to end her, and all that she holds dear." He looked at me. "That's why I sired you, Hunter. Artemis is the protector of children—she could never harm one, _especially_ if it was her own. You would be my ultimate weapon—the tool of my revenge."

A knot formed in my throat. "So that's all I am to you? A tool to be used and discarded when the job's done. Sorry, Orion, but I'm not into that." I snorted. "Too bad, I was actually starting to consider joining you."

He sighed. "My son, I'm afraid I didn't come here to ask your permission. You are coming with me, regardless of your opinion on the matter."

"I don't think so. You guys ready?"

"Oh yeah," Mel said.

"On three?" Jason asked.

"Why wait?"

Together, we charged.

Faster than I could act, Orion nocked and fired and arrow at Jay, who stopped it with his shield. Melony and I went in to slash at him, but he deflected our attacks with his bow. Then he kicked Melony in the stomach hard enough to send her flying.

I feinted right, then slashed at his lower abdomen. He spun, dagger suddenly in hand. The knife was aimed at my leg, but I grabbed his wrist and used his own momentum to flip him over me and onto his back.

He swung with his bow, and my foot got caught, sending me onto my back with my neck and head hanging over the train edge. We were over a bridge now, with a crystal-blue lake beneath us.

Orion had gotten to his feet and threw a punch at Jason…

…who caught it.

"What?" the giant asked.

Jay said, "I'm strong too," and hit the giant with an uppercut to the chin. Just as his feet left the ground, I caught them and slammed the giant down, face-first, onto the train roof; then I swung him around and threw him as hard as I could into the lake. He bounced like a stone twice before sinking.

"Alright," I said after catching my breath. "That was—"

"Guys," Melony said, pointing.

The giant was running across the surface of the water, almost as fast as the train. _So that's where I get it from,_ I thought, then though, _Oh, son of a—_

"The train cars!" I said. "Detach the train cars, make us go faster."

"Right," they said, and began to run toward the last cars. Meanwhile, I summoned my bow and began taking shots at the giant. He managed to shoot them out of the air, however, but it kept him focused on me.

"He still coming?" Jay asked. They had already detached three of the seven cars between the caboose and us, and we had sped up, but…

"Yeah, and gaining fast."

"What do we do?" Mel asked.

"I know," Jay said.

"You do?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. Mel, I need you to start charging up a fireball hot enough to burn through this bridge."

"What?"

"Just trust me. When I say, launch it straight down. Till then, stand at the very edge of the car. Yes, right there. Hunter, I need you to trust me for this."

I thought about it. We'd had our issues, but I still trust him. "What do I need to do?"

"I'm gonna hang you over the edge of the train, right in view of Orion."

"…What?"

"Just trust me, okay?"

I swallowed, looked down at the giant, and nodded. "Okay."

Jay stabbed his spear into the roof of the train, then stood by the edge with one hand holding it. Then I stood next to him, and let him grab my shirt. Then I slowly leaned back until I was hanging at a forty-five-degree angle with only my feet touching the train. The wind was whipping in my ears and messing up my hair. "You got me?"

"I got you," he said, but I still gripped his wrist for reassurance.

Below us, Orion was quickly catching up. Then, suddenly, he leapt up, sailing toward me, arm outstretched as though to grab me. Just before he reached me, however, Jay pulled me back and knocked the giant back with a vicious backhand.

"Now?" Melony asked. A white-hot ball of fire the size of a basketball was in her hands, and it looked like she was struggling to contain it.

"Not yet!" Jay called, jumping down the gap between the car behind us. A second later, all four of the remaining train cars began to slow sow, which meant he'd separated them from us. " _Now!_ "

With a scream, Melony chucked the fireball straight down, sending it crashing through the bridge. The fire spread, igniting the wooden planks supporting the tracks, sending a shower of burnt wood and train cars down on top of the giant.

"Uh, Mel, can you control it?" I asked as the fire began to spread toward us.

She held her arms out and made a pushing motion. She screamed, but the flames stopped. When she was sure the flames were contained, she fell face-first onto the train. We rolled her onto her back and made sure she was breathing.

"She alright?" I asked.

"Yeah," Jay said. "Too much exertion, is all. Seen it before."

The train stopped five minutes later when we got back to the forest. The conductor was red-faced and furious. "What in Jesus' blue ball is—" Then he saw us. "What the hell are you three doing on my train! I bet it was you who ditched my cars and broke the bridge. How in the hell did you—"

I snapped my fingers. "Your train cars are still there," I said. "And there aren't three teenagers here at all; there never were. You're on your way to New York, and you're running late."

"I'm…running late…" he said, eyes covered in a green fog.

"Then you'd better get going."

"Yeah, I'll…yeah…"

He climbed back into the front car, and Jay and I took Mel back to our car before the train started moving. Winter and the other wolves were pacing back and forth when we entered, and they swarmed me, sniffing and licking.

"I'm good, guys, really," I said, laughing.

"How's you do that?" Jay asked. "With the conductor, I mean."

"I'll explain later," I promised.

-o-

The familiar hill with the pine tree on top was so beautiful I almost cried. The sun was setting, so it must have been close to dinner when we arrived. A lump formed in my throat, and I smiled ear to ear. _Almost there._

"You okay?" Melony asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. Just…happy to be back."

"So that's Camp Half-Blood," Jason said. "I expected more."

I laughed. "Just wait till we get _over_ the hill before you judge it, peacock boy."

"What did you—"

"Come on."

"Wait," said Mel. "Hunter, what's gonna happen?"

I took a breath. "I have no idea. But we can't keep surviving out there. So…hope for the best?"

Jay scoffed. "Sure. And the leprechaun will hop out of the woods and give us a lifetime supply of Lucky Charms."

"I prefer Cinnamon Toast Crunch."

"They're okay. Frosted Flakes are pretty good."

"Ooh, especially with cut up bananas and—"

"Boys," Melony said. "Can we focus?"

"Right," I said with a laugh. "Just…stay behind me and let me do the talking."

"Since when do you _not_ do the talking?"

"What can I say, Jay, I have a nice voice."

"More like you like the sound of your own voice."

"That too."

" _Anyway,_ " Mel broke in. "We should go."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Let's do this."

As we approached the top of the hill, I saw that Thalia's tree had gotten much worse. Most of the pines were gone, and most of what was left was yellow. It looked fragile, like it would sway and fall if caught in the tiniest breeze.

I laid a hand on its trunk. "Hey, Thalia. I'm back."

"So this is Thalia's tree." Jay said. I had told the two of them about Camp Half-Blood on the way here, so they wouldn't be lost or confused.

"Yeah. Percy and Annabeth should—"

"Halt!"

A dozen armored figures emerged from the surrounding trees and bushes, holding spears, swords, and bows. Melony and Jay turned, weapons half out. I put a hand on Jay's shoulder. "No." I pushed past him, and faced the leader. He was wearing a helmet, but I could tell who he by his height—a head taller than me—and his shiny blue eyes.

"Hey, Lee."

I saw his eyes widen, then he dropped his sword and pull off his helmet. "Hunter!" He wrapped his arms around me. "You're back. I didn't recognize you at first."

I laughed and pulled away. "It's the hair, right?" Before I left I kept my hair short, but in the last month it had grown long enough to be pulled into a ponytail.

He nodded. "Yep." By now everyone else had pulled off their helmets as well, and I was happy to see so many familiar faces. They all came and gave me a hug or a handshake, and I was glad to be back. "Guys," I said, gesturing behind me, "this is Jason and Melony. I met 'em on the road; they're good people."

"Half-Bloods?" Lee asked.

"Unclaimed." Jay didn't anything, which was smart.

"Uh, Hunter?" Kayla said. "What's with the wolves?"

"Hm? Oh!" My wolves had circled around us, watching with interest. "This is Winter, Diana, Sly, and Phoebes. They're safe."

"You can control them?"

"Yes. Little ability I have."

"The one we talked about?" Will asked.

"Yeah. I'm learning to control it."

Lee nodded, then turned to face me, solemn. "Hunter, Tantalus kicked you out—he said if you came back—"

"I know what Tantalus said."

"Then what are you gonna do?"

"Get rid of him."

He looked at me like I was an idiot. "How? Mr. D and the other campers—"

"How have things been lately?"

He sighed. "Not good. There are more attacks, more desertions, and we can't keep this up."

"And what's Tantalus doing about it?"

"Nothing!" Will said.

"Will!" Lee scolded.

"What? It's true. All Tantalus does is talk about how there's no danger while he and Mr. D play cards! Lee, the infirmary's so full we have people sleeping on the _floor_. Nobody's _doing_ anything, and Clarisse isn't back yet. We have to do _something_."

Lee clenched his jaw, then he said, "What're you gonna do?"

"We need to get rid of Tantalus. I know it's going to be tough, but if we can get Mr. D away from him, it'll be possible."

"That might not be as hard as you think."

I frowned. "How so, Kayla?"

"Mr. D doesn't like Tantalus. I've seen how he looks at him; like he's a fly on his food or something. He probably only keeps him around because he finds Tantalus's food problem funny."

"That's good." I turned to Lee. "Look, I know this is a long shot, but I have a good feeling about this. We can do it, but we need to do it together. Is there anyone else who can help us?"

He thought about it. "Well, there are still a few Apollo campers at dinner, so they should help. I know that Hermes, Demeter, and Aphrodite will help you."

I frowned. "Aphrodite? Why?"

"You were good friends with Anna before she…left. Besides, you were always nice to Silena, so she should vouch for you."

The mention of Anna brought a lump to my throat, but I swallowed it and said, "Anyone else?"

"If you can get their dad to go along with you, I'm sure Castor and Pollux will stand with you."

 _There's only two of them, what can they do?_ "Is that all?"

"Athena and Hephaestus might help if you make a good enough case to them. But Ares…"

I swallowed. "What about Ares?"

"Since Clarisse's on leave, Sherman Yang's head counselor."

I winced. Melony said, "Who's Sherman Yang?"

"Eldest son of Ares," I said. "He's…troublesome. Arrogant, prideful, and demeaning. He's a bully in every sense of the word. Takes pride in Ares, and since their head counselor's on a quest…"

"…he won't like it if we do anything to hurt the Ares cabin…" Lee said.

"…like remove the guy who _gave_ them the quest," I finished.

"Oh," Melony said. "Yeah, that makes sense."

"Still," Lee said, "even without Ares, that's still the vast majority of camp. People have won with worse odds."

"True," I said. "Let's hope I'm one of them."

Lee left Austin and Barry to guard Thalia's tree while the rest of us went down to the dining pavilion. It was mostly dark, and the only light was from the burning tiki torches sticking out from the ground and the blood-red moon that hung overhead. _Is that a sign?_

Before we reached the dining pavilion, Lee said, "Wait a few minutes; we're going to go on ahead, try and get everyone ready."

"Good luck," I said.

"You too."

They snuck around the edges of the hill so that nobody would notice them. I waited till the count of one hundred, then took a deep breath, looked at Jason and Melony, and said, "You with me?"

"Until the end," Melony said. Jason nodded.

We entered from the center, visible to all. When we were close enough to table twelve, I called, "Tantalus!"

All conversation stopped. Everyone turned to look at us, whispering. More people were quickly looking at Winter and the other wolves before turning away when the wolves noticed. I saw the hairs on Winter's back begin to rise, to I put a hand on her head to calm her.

"He's back," some people said.

"Who are those guys with him?" others whispered.

"Abomination," I heard someone say, and when I saw the nymph who had said it I smiled wickedly at her. She yelped and ran.

"So," Mr. D said, flicking through a deck of cards, "you return to us, Hector."

"Hunter."

"Whatever." He looked at me over his cards. "Weren't you banished from here?"

"He was," Tantalus said. The sight of him made me furious. "I told you that if you returned I would have Dionysus here turn you into a dolphin."

"Did you now?" said Mr. D, looking over at him.

Tantalus blinked. "Well, my lord, I thought that—"

"—I would fix your problem for you?" He looked back down at his cards. "Well, since I'm not feeling like turning him into a dolphin today, why don't you deal with him?"

"I—"

"Hopefully he has more luck that his sons."

Tantalus looked at me. "What?"

Slowly, I pulled the axe from my bag and set it on the Dionysus table. I gave a quick nod to Castor and Pollux before turning back to Tantalus. "Broetas and Pelops are dead. By my hand, in case you were wondering."

He scowled. "So?"

"Lycaon's dead too, and Orion failed to take me. Niobe's plan failed, old man."

"Who's Niobe?" Dionysus asked.

"Nobody important, my lord."

"I see. Carry on."

"Every other member of Niobe's plan's gone—except you. I intend to remedy that."

"How? I am still director of this camp, and you are an arrogant boy who would benefit greatly from learning respect."

"I don't have any respect for scheming bastards like you."

" _Bastard!"_ Tantalus roared, rising to his feet so quickly that I moved back. Broetas' axe was in his hand, and he pointed it at me threateningly. Every eye at camp was wide, looking on in fear. Beside me, the wolves were growling, their teeth bared.

"Call me bastard again and I'll rip your lungs out, boy! I am a godly man—a holy man. Lord Zeus himself chose me for this position. I want you gone, and you"—he pointed at Jason—"and you too, girl." He pointed at Melony. "I want all of you gone from my camp!"

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and turned to see Lee. "Come on, Hunter," he whispered, "before he does something drastic."

Then Jay did something drastic.

"You are a bastard," he said. "A child-murdering, cannibalistic, bastard."

For the count of three, there was silence. Then Tantalus roared and charged at Jason, axe in hand. I wrenched away from Lee's arm, pulled my dagger out, and pulled Tantalus' hair back. I cut him so deep I felt the bones of his neck against my blade. He choked in surprise and dropped the axe, reaching for his neck. Jay hit him hard enough that his neck snapped, and he fell to the ground.

There were gasps and cries all around, but they fell silent when Dionysus rose. For a second I thought he would smite us, then he looked down at Tantalus and said, "Is he dead?"

"No, sir," Melony said, bending down. "He's hurt and unconscious, but alive."

"I thought so. Dead men can't die twice. I assume he'll be healed by morning."

"So…you aren't mad?" I asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "Mad, foolish boy? He was an awful poker player, not to mention how much he cheated during pinochle games. No, I am not mad." He yawned. "All this commotion has exhausted me. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to turn in for the night."

"Wait, you're not going to do anything?"

"I am going to bed, that's what I am doing." He glanced down at Tantalus' prone form. "See that that is removed before I wake up tomorrow." With that, he left, heading toward the Big House.

Pandemonium erupted.

People began shouting, each trying to be heard over the other. "What do we do now?" one asked. "Is Chiron coming back?" asked another. "We have to do something!" More and more people kept shouting, until it was hard enough to think. I heard suggestions for battle plans, an appeal to Olympus, another quest to find the Fleece, and more.

I turned to Jay and Melony. _Now,_ I mouthed.

They nodded and each pulled out the silver horns we'd taken from Artemis's bunker. They lifted it to their lips, took a deep breath, and blew.

aaaaaaaaoooooooooooooooooooooooooo

All at once the shouting stopped, and everyone turned to look at them, but still they blew on. The wolves raised their snouts and howled with them.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

By now the sound was carrying all over camp, all the way to Thalia's tree and the ocean. Some campers clamped their hands over their ears and shut their eyes to block out the sound, but it was no good. The sound could have been heard it Tartarus, and the Sea of Monsters too. I wondered if Percy and Annabeth heard it, or Clarisse and Grover. I hoped Olympus heard it, and all the gods up there.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When the sound finally faded, Melony and Jay bent over, breathing heavily. Lee and Will caught them and guided them to the Apollo table, where they gave them water and told them to breathe slowly.

Meanwhile, I walked to the Zeus table, which stood in the center of the reverse U that the tables formed. I climbed to the very top and turned to my fellow half-bloods, so everyone could see me and hear my words.

"Demigods," I said, "hear me now. You all know me, and I know all of you." I had no idea where the words came from, but I could not stop myself. "I have practiced archery with the Apollo cabin, sword fighting with the Aphrodite cabin, Ancient Greek and Latin with Athena, and metalworking with Hephaestus. I have bruised and been bruised by Ares during capture the flag, taught some of Demeter's children how to turn plants into poison, and caused chaos with the Hermes crowd, who took me in like I was one of their own.

"My name is Hunter Marcus, and I am one of you. But unlike you, I have been outside this camp and seen what lurks beyond our borders. I was among those chosen to retrieve Zeus's Master Bolt. I journeyed down to Hades and stood before the Lord of the Underworld in all his glory. Yet I returned. How many of you can say the same? When Tantalus banished me, I journeyed to the far ends of this country, hunted by all manner of dark beasts. Yet here I stand.

"Once we were strong. Once we were great. We were heroes—conquerors—adventures." I could tell my words were having an effect, because a few people cheered at the last three words. "We settled this world and ruled in the gods' names. Everywhere a man stepped foot was _our_ world. We broke empires, settled countries, defied the laws of death itself!

"And what are we now? Nothing but teenagers in a summer camp. The greatest threat our world has ever seen—a threat so great it took the three strongest gods _eleven_ years to overthrow—is rising again. And what do we do about it? We hold chariot races. We have sing-alongs. We stick our heads in the ground and wait for the gods to intervene. No more. No more, I say!

"Why should we let the gods decide our fates? Why wait for them to tell us what to do? They sit up there on Olympus while we fight and die for them. Do they appreciate us?"

"No!" came the cry.

"Do they thank us?"

" _No!_ "

"Do they respect us?"

" _NO!"_

"Exactly. My friends, do not close your eyes and pray because the gods aren't listening. Believe me—the only things the gods care about are actions. We must show them they must respect us, and that begins _RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!_

"We must hold the line here. No more small defense parties, no more hiding in bushes hoping nothing too big or dangerous comes around. No, we must be better than that. Head counselors, come forward."

They did—Katie Gardner from Demeter; Sherman Yang from Ares; Malcolm Pace from Athena; Lee Fletcher from Apollo; Beckendorf from Hephaestus; Silena Beauregard from Aphrodite; Connor and Travis Stoll from Hermes; and Castor from Dionysus. They moved in front of their tables, standing in front of me.

"Chiron is no longer here, and Dionysus is incapable of leading us. You stand as the oldest and wisest among your siblings. You represent your parents. So it shall be _you_ who lead this camp." I had no idea why I was calling the shots, but I couldn't stop. "Starting tomorrow you will meet daily in the Big House, but for now we must work toward reinforcing our defenses.

"Sherman, Malcolm, your cabins are the smartest and toughest in this whole camp. You'll divide your forces in two. Those four groups will take watch, two at night, two during the day."

"Nothing'll get by them!" Sherman promised.

"I have no doubt about that. Beckendorf, I want your cabin to work with Hermes to set up traps all along the camp's borders. Nothing gets in unhurt. Lee, have your cabin prepare first-aid kits and defensive blockades inside camp's borders. If something manages to get through, I want positions where we can take 'em down. Aphrodite can help you. Demeter and Dionysus, you'll be in charge of stockpiling provisions. Use your abilities to grow as much food as you can as fast as you can. If we need to fall back, there should be enough food to keep us fed until backup arrives."

"We're on it," Katie said.

"Remember, we are the scion of the gods, a race powerful enough to level mountains with their pinkies. Nothing can stand against us if we work together. Luke and his minions seek to beat us with hellhounds and snake-people. Is he _stupid_? They can't hurt us and they can't reach us, can they?"

"No!" came the reply.

"Who are we?"

"Half-Bloods!"

"Who are we?"

" _Half-Bloods!"_

"I can't hear you!"

"HALF-BLOODS!"

"Say it louder! Say it loud enough so the gods up on Olympus and monsters down in Tartarus can hear us. So, I ask you again—who are we?"

" _HALF-BLOODS!_ _HALF-BLOODS! HALF-BLOODS!_

By now everyone was standing, waving weapons or their firsts or utensils. I saw the head counselors chanting, and their cabins, and Melony and Jason. Winter and the other wolves were howling, and a murder of crows were cawing all around us, taking flight with their dark wings.

Sometimes people shouted " _CHIRON!"_ or _"PERCY!_ " or the name of their godly parent. But that soon faded and was replaced by another name.

" _HUNTER! HUNTER! HUNTER! HUNTER! HUNTER!"_

-o-

"So," Melony said after everyone had dispersed. Lee and some of the Apollo campers had returned to Half-Blood Hill to keep watch until a schedule was figured out, and everyone else had gone to bed. "This is Camp Half-Blood."

"Yep," I said.

"Where's that Tantalus guy?" Jason asked.

"The Big House's basement," I said. "The Ares campers tied him down with rope and duct tape. He'll be stuck there till someone lets him go."

"What will you do?" Melony asked.

"Let him heal tonight, then visit him tomorrow. He and I have some things to discuss."

"So…what now?"

"Now, I take you guys to the Hermes cabin so we can get some rest." We passed by the hearth in the center of the cabin circle. "I'll give you the grand tour some time tomorrow. Till then, just—"

" _Melony?_ "

We turned. A little girl dressed in a brown dress with a scarf over her head was looking at us. She looked surprised, even a little pale, with her mouth slightly hanging open. She had the same dark red eyes as Mel, though her hair was hidden beneath a brown scarf.

Mel glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. I shrugged in an _I-don't-know-who-she-is_ kind of way. She looked back.

"Yes?"

The girl sucked in a breath. "I'd hoped you'd make it one day…but to see you here now…it takes my breath away."

Mel's face creased in confusion. "Who are you?"

"I'm not surprised you don't know me. It's been so long…"

Mel's hand balled into a fist. "Who are you? Tell me."

"My name is Hestia," the girl said. "I'm your mother."

* * *

* A Gigas (Gigantes for plural) is the name of the giants featured in the Heroes of Olympus. Check out the Riordan Wiki page if you don't believe me.

** I was never a huge fan of Orion's characterization in the books. Sure, he strays away from the myths a whole lot, but I never liked his whole "Women act strong, but they crumble when they meet a strong man, hahahaha!" act. In the myths, he was skilled and charming enough to nearly convince Artemis to fall in love with him. Not to mention he joined the Hunt as the first male in history to do so. That, to me, meant he would respect Artemis as a leader, and while he loved her, he would never force her to give up everything she is. So, I decided to give him more of a morally ambiguous character. Don't worry, we'll see more of both Orion and Niobe in Part 4 of this story.

A/N: Well, what do you think? There should only be two chapters left in this ACT, but I'm not one hundred percent sure. You'll find out next time. In the meantime, leave a review letting me know what you think. If this is interesting, follow and favorite. Don't hesitate to ask questions, I promise to answer all of them. (As long as they aren't too spoiler-y.) Until then, I'll see you next time.

Bye!


	25. Chapter 25

**The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Twenty-Five: Answers**

Looking back, I should have seen it coming. I mean, really—fire-based powers and nearly exact looks? Should have figured it out. _Children of Artemis, Hera, and Hestia_. I almost laughed. _Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke._

Still, I was surprised. As was Melony.

She stared, unblinking, for what felt like an hour. Then she balled her fists up and the grass around her began to smoke.

"So what?" she asked, voice shaking. "You think I'll come running to you like I'm a child who stubbed her toe? Not happening, bitch."

Hestia looked hurt. "Melony…"

" _Don't_ call me that. Don't call me _anything._ In fact, don't even talk to me." She scoffed. "Not like you need my permission for that—it's all you've done for the past thirteen years. Where were you when I was being bounced around the foster care system? Where were you when I cried myself to sleep, thinking I'd never find a family? Where were you the last _month_ , when I was in almost constant danger? Hmm? Where were you? Tell me!"

"I couldn't speak to you because it's forbidden by Zeus. Gods are not allowed to speak to their children directly. Besides, I have sworn to be an eternal virgin; I am forbidden from having children."

"Then why have me?"

"Because there is a war coming, M—child. My brother refuses to acknowledge it, but the Titans are stirring. There will be great strife amongst the gods. While I tend to the hearth on Olympus, you must do so here."

"What, keep everyone happy and loving and sweet? Have you _met_ me? Oh, wait, you haven't. The only reason we're speaking now is because I made it here in one piece. Tell me—if I hadn't made it, would you have _ever_ contacted me?"

When Hestia didn't say anything, Mel scoffed and turned on her heel. "Come on, guys. 'Tend to the hearth'…you don't know a thing about me."

"I know you can see things in flames."

She stopped, turned, and said, "What?"

"I know you burned down the first two foster homes you lived in. You blamed yourself, even though the hellhounds that found you left you no choice. I know you go to sleep every night, terrified you'll burn down your surroundings and kill someone. I know you can't control your powers, and that's why you try to stay calm—your powers get out of control when you experience strong emotions."

Mel swallowed.

"Look," Hestia continued, "I know you don't like me. I get it, really. But…let me help. I can teach you how to control your abilities. You don't need to be afraid anymore, Melony. Please, just…think about it?"

Melony turned on her heel, and we followed.

-o-

"How's everything going?"

The cabin counselors and I were gathered around the ping pong table in the rec room. Dionysus was there too, lounging on a couch eating grapes.

"Half of my cabin's on patrol right now," Sherman Yang said. "They only have a few hours left till their shift's over."

"My guy'll take over after that," Malcolm said.

"Good," I said. "Make sure they're ready for anything; we have no idea how long until Clarisse gets back."

"But if monsters do get through," Beckendorf said, "my cabin's set up traps along the perimeter of the camp."

"They won't hurt _us,_ will they?" Katie asked.

"No. They're hooked up to an activation switch I keep on me at all times. Only time they'll be armed is if I enter the kill code."

"What if something happens to you?" Lee asked.

"Jake and Nyssa have back-ups. We've also started setting up defensive blockades inside the camp's borders. Monsters will have a hard time getting through them if they get past the patrols and traps."

"And we've camouflaged our nasty surprises," Silena said. "Only way they'll know they've activated a trap is if they step on it, and by that time it'll be too late."

"How are we doing on medicine and food?" Malcolm asked. "Do we have enough for everyone?"

"Not yet," Lee confessed. "But my guys'll have enough in a week or two."

"What if we don't last a week?"

"We will," Castor said. "We've got enough food to keep us fed for a few days if we all bunker down in here. I'm sure help will come by then."

It went on like that for about another hour before the meeting was adjourned. I admit, I was surprised so many people were willing to lend a hand, even putting aside old rivalries. I guess crises bring out the best in people.

Melony and Jason were sparring in the arena with the other Hermes cabin members. I joined them.

"You guys mind?"

"Not at all," Mel said. "Jay, why don't you take a break? I wanna see how good Hunter is with a sword."

"Sure," he said, going to sit down.

I picked up a practice sword and gave it a few swings. I wasn't normally good with swords, but I doubted Mel was either.

We came together, hacking and slashing at each other. "So," I said. "You thought about you-know-who's advice?"

"Yeah," she said.

"And?"

"…I think I'm gonna do it. I'm tired of being afraid of what I can do. I wanna be better."

"Well, I don't really think you should advertise your sessions."

"Why not?"

"You heard her—she isn't supposed to have kids. I'm pretty sure if you go around announcing it you'll cause some major problems upstairs. Same goes for you, Jay.:

"I know," he said. "Last thing I need is Zeus getting his lightning bolts in a twist."

"Is that why you haven't told anyone who you are?"

"Exactly." _And because I hate her._ "But if she claims you publicly, then I don't really think you need to keep it a secret 'cause…why bother, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." She wiped sweat off her brow. "Hey, Jay, why don't you step in? I need to sit down for a bit."

"You got it."

I smiled. "Think you can take me, cow boy?"

"We'll see."

With that, we charged.

-o-

Melony and Jason adjusted pretty well to camp. Melony spent most of her free time with Hestia, training in secret, while Jay tended to hang around the arena and practice against the training dummies. When we didn't have free time we'd stay with the Hermes cabin, who welcomed us with open arms.

It was free time now, and Mel and Jay were off doing their own things.

Meanwhile, _I_ was dealing with something of _my_ own…

Tantalus was bound and gagged in a small utility closet in the bottom floor of the Big House. He was sleeping, with a black band over his eyes.

"You have five minutes," said Mr. D, scratching his chin. "Then I want him out of here."

"Where should I put him?"

He shrugged. "Doesn't really matter to me, long as he's out of here."

I chewed the inside of my cheek. _Not a whole lot of time._ "Can I have fifteen minutes?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Ten."

"Thirteen."

"Eleven."

"Twelve."

"…fine." He turned to walk out the door. "Oh, and I want that dog of yours gone."

Winter growled, but a hand on her head calmed her. "Once I'm done, she'll be out of here. Sir."

He sighed. "Very well. If it sheds anywhere, you'll be cleaning it up."

"Okay."

He left, closing the basement door behind him.

I picked up a bucket of mop water and dumped it onto the sleeping Tantalus. He jerked awake, thrashing about. I kicked him in the chin and he settled down. I grabbed his shirt collar and pulled the blindfold off.

He made a muffled sound that I assumed what the word "You."

"Me," I said, pulling his gag off. "I have some questions. You're going to answer them."

"Or what?" he spat.

I murmered a word, and Winter's jaw locked on Tantalus's hand. There was a _snap_ and a scream as she bit one of his fingers off.

"Or that," I said. "And much worse. Answer my questions, and I'll leave you alone. Understand?"

"…What do you want to know?"

"Only one thing. Simple, really—you should have no trouble telling me." I leaned in close. "What does Niobe want with me?"

-o-

Things turned around for us almost immediately. We were all eating dinner as the sun was setting. Half of the Ares cabin was on guard duty, and half the Athena cabin was getting ready for their shift, so they weren't accounted for. Mr. D was sitting at table twelve with his sons Castor and Pollux; Tantalus was tied up at their table too, with an apple in his mouth.

Looking at him made my stomach roll. His left eye was swollen and purple, his lip was cracked, and three of his fingers were missing. A tooth had also been knocked out of his mouth, and underneath his jumpsuit were large purple welts.

 _You should have told me right away,_ I thought. _Then I would've been merciful._

It had taken hours, but finally Tantalus had revealed what he knew of Niobe's plans. The thought of it still sent a shiver down my spine.* _Don't think about it. You're at camp now; you're safe._

We had already sacrificed a portion of our food to the gods when the air in the center of the half-circle of tables began to shimmer. Everyone stopped talking and looked at the shimmering air. It slowly formed into an image: someone's back was toward us, and in front of him were two familiar faces being restrained and surrounded by monsters.

"Who is that?" Jason asked.

"Quiet," I hissed.

"…time for heroics, Percy," said the image of Luke Castellan, son of Hermes. "Drop your puny little sword, or I'll have you killed sooner rather than later."

"Who poisoned Thalia's tree, Luke?" asked Percy.

"I did, of course," he snarled. "I already told you that. I used elder python venom, straight from the depths of Tartarus."

"Chiron had nothing to do with it?"

I felt a smile spread across my face. _You mad genius!_

"Ha! You know he would never do that. The old fool wouldn't have the guts."

"You call it guts? Betraying your friends? Endangering the whole camp?"

Luke raised his sword. "You don't understand the half of it. I was going to let you take the Fleece...once I was done with it."

"You were going to heal Kronos," Percy said.

"Yes! The Fleece's magic would've sped his mending process by tenfold. But you haven't stopped us, Percy. You've only slowed us down a little."

"And so you poisoned the tree, you betrayed Thalia, you set us up—all to help Kronos destroy the gods."

"You know that! Why do you keep asking me?"

"Because I want everybody in the audience to hear you."

"What audience?"

Then he turned and saw us, as did his whole crew. I saw monsters I'd never seen before; and some old friends: Anna, daughter of Aphrodite, and Damien, son of Ares. They were looking at us with wide eyes.

"Well," said Dionysus dryly, popping open a can of diet coke, "some unplanned dinner entertainment."

"Mr. D, you heard him," Percy said. "You all heard Luke. The poisoning of the tree wasn't Chiron's fault."

Mr. D sighed. "I suppose not."

Tantalus wriggled uncomfortably, trying to say something over his gag, but his roped held him tight and the apple kept him quiet.

Mr. D looked at him with distaste. "It appears I shall have to reinstate Chiron as activities director. I suppose I do miss the old horse's pinochle games." He took a sip of his soda. ""We are no longer in need of your services, Tantalus." He waved a hand. "You may return to the Underworld. You are dismissed."

Tantalus tried to cry something, but nobody could understand him. He turned to mist and disslolved, leaving his ropes and apple behind. Everyone exploded into cheers.

Luke bellowed with rage. He slashed his sword through the Iris-message, cutting off the connection.

"I don't get it," Mel said. "Who was that?"

"That," I said, smiling, "was Percy Jackson."

At the Apollo cabin, Lee Fletcher got to his feet. "You heard him," he called when the cheering died down. "Percy and Chiron are on their way with the Golden Fleece, I'm sure of it. Let's make sure there's still a camp for them when they get back, yeah?"

The camp exploded into cheers again.

-o-

We didn't have to wait long.

They arrived a few hours later. The single horn blast echoed over Camp Half-Blood, and we all rushed to the top of the hill. Clarisse arrived first, with Percy, Annabeth, Grover, the cyclops—Tyson, his name is Tyson—Chiron, and over two dozen other centaurs arriving about five minutes later.

The moment Clarisse draped the Golden Fleece over the lowest bough, the moonlight seemed to brighten, turning from gray to liquid silver. A cool breeze rustled in the branches and rippled through the grass, all the way into the valley. Everything came into sharper focus—the glow of the fireflies down in the woods, the smell of the straw-berry fields, the sound of the waves on the beach.

Gradually, the needles on the pine tree started turning from brown to green.

Everybody cheered. It was happening slowly, but there could be no doubt—the Fleece's magic was seeping into the tree, filling it with new power and expelling the poison.

Chiron ordered double the patrols around the tree, at least until a proper guardian could be found. He complemented me on setting up the defenses in the first place.

"It wasn't just me, sir," I said. "It was all of us."

He smiled. "Then it would seem I have all of you to thank for keeping my camp safe while I was gone."

"Yeah. It's good to have you back, Chiron."

"It is good to _be_ back, Hunter. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to contact Olympus and see about finding a new guardian for our tree."

When he left, I went and found Annabeth and Percy.

"Good to see you two back in one piece," I said, throwing my arms over their shoulders.

"You too," Percy said, smiling. "I thought for sure Tantalus would've kicked you out."

"Oh, he did. Yep, I got kicked out. Oh, don't look at me like that, I knew what I was getting into. Besides, I had these A-holes"—a pointed over my shoulder at Melony and Jason, who stood behind me—"to help me out. This is Jason…"

"You can call me Jay," he said, inclining his head.

"…and this is Mel."

"Hello," said the daughter of Hestia. (Still getting used to that.) "I've heard a lot about you guys."

"Good things, hopefully," Annabeth said.

"Maybe," Mel said, eyes shimmering.

 _Those two are gonna get along great_. "Look, nobody'll say it, so I will—thanks for bringing the Fleece back. You saved camp."

"It wasn't just us," Percy said. "Clarisse did most of it."

"Still, you played a part."

"So did Tyson," Percy said, looking at his cyclops brother, who stood a few feet away from us.

I turned to him. After everything I'd been through in the last few weeks, I supposed there could be good monsters. "I suppose he did." I extended an arm. "Thanks, Tyson. And…I'm sorry for how I treated you."

"We are friends?" he asked, looking at my hand in reverence.

"Uh, sure, big guy. We're friends."

"Yay!" He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. I saw Jay looking amused. _Oh, you are going to get it._

When he put me down, I took a step back. "You know, my friend Jay here really _loves_ hugs. You mind giving him some love?"

"Okay!"

Jay had a second to panic before he was picked up and crushed against Tyson. _I hate you_ , he mouthed, while Mel laughed next to him.

I turned back to Percy and Annabeth. "You guys seen Grover? I need to talk to him."

"Yeah," Percy said, "he should be right…over…here…" Grover was nowhere in sight. "Hmm. I have no idea where he is."

"He probably just went to check in on his family," Annabeth said. "I'm sure you'll see him soon."

"Yeah," I said, not quite focused on her. "I'm sure I will too."

In the meantime, Clarisse was carried on her cabin mates' shoulders down to the amphitheater, where she was honored with a laurel wreath and a lot of celebrating around the campfire.

The next morning, another chariot race was held, much to everyone's surprise. Percy and Annabeth ended up winning, much to my own amusement. (Will Solace ended up eating his shirt collar he was so angry.)

Grover announced that he'd be able to spend the rest of the summer with us before resuming his quest for Pan. His bosses at the Council of Cloven Elders were so impressed that he hadn't gotten himself killed and had cleared the way for future searchers, that they granted him a two-month furlough and a new set of reed pipes. The only bad news: Grover insisted on playing those pipes all afternoon long, and his musical skills hadn't improved much. He played "YMCA," and the strawberry plants started going crazy, wrapping around our feet like they were trying to strangle us. I couldn't blame them.

Percy also said that he would be returning to his mom's to attend school—apparently Chiron had pulled some strings and gotten his incident from earlier in the summer erased. He'd be staying with us till the end of August, then return home after his birthday.

"Annabeth and I will keep your cabin clean," I said.

"We will?"

"Yes," I said, "we will. Just try not to blow up any more school buildings."

"As long as _you_ don't get yourself kicked out again."

I laughed. "No promises."

As for Tyson, everyone treated him like a hero. Unfortunately, it wasn't for very long. He left a few days later, just before dinner. Percy was really bummed, but he was happy too. He and Mel started sword training together, and both were improving greatly.

I had to laugh internally. _Fire and water…who knew they could be so good together?_

Then everything went sideways.

-o-

A storm raged that night, but it parted around Camp Half-Blood as storms usually did. Lightning flashed against the horizon, waves pounded the shore, but not a drop fell in our valley. We were protected again, thanks to the Fleece, sealed inside our magical borders.

My dreams were jumbled and messy. I saw Niobe standing in between four large pillars topped with torches. Orion stood behind her, sharpening his arrows. Then I was Winter, hiding from the storm by hiding under a bunk bed. Something was wrong. Then I heard a voice in my head:

 _WAKE!_

My eyes shot open. I saw Grover and Percy running outside, heading for Half-Blood Hill. I ripped off my sleeping bag and ran after them, stepping on two or three people on my way out.

Dawn was just breaking, but the whole camp seemed to be stirring. Word was spreading. Something huge had happened. A few campers were already making their way toward the hill, satyrs and nymphs and heroes in a weird mix of armor and pajamas.

I saw Chiron run by, Percy and Grover on his back.

The Athena cabin had first watch tonight. They were dressed in armor, their weapons sheathed at their sides.

I expected to see the Fleece missing from the pine tree, but it was still there, glittering in the first light of dawn. The storm had broken and the sky was blood-red. There at the base of the tree, a girl was lying unconscious. Another girl in Greek armor was kneeling next to her.

"Percy," I asked, shoving my way to him. "What's going on?"

"I…" His voice cracked. "I don't know."

Annabeth was there, her helmet off, kneeling next to the girl on the ground. When Annabeth saw us, she ran to Chiron. "It...she...just suddenly there..."

Suddenly Percy rushed forward, ignoring Chiron's cry to get back, and knelt next to the girl on the ground.

She had short black hair and freckles across her nose. She was built like a long-distance runner, lithe and strong, and she wore clothes that were somewhere between punk and Goth—a black T-shirt, black tattered jeans, and a leather jacket with buttons from a bunch of bands I'd never heard of.

She wasn't a camper. I didn't recognize her from any of the cabins. But I knew her…

 _The presence in the tree,_ a voice whispered. Then I remembered. A year ago, I'd felt a presence stir within the tree. But the only presence in the tree is—

 _Oh gods,_ I thought. _It can't be._

"It's true," Grover said, panting from his run up the hill. "I can't believe..."

Nobody else came close to the girl.

Percy put his hand on her forehead. "She needs nectar and ambrosia," he said.

He took her by the shoulders and lifted her into sitting position, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Come on!" he yelled to the others. "What's wrong with you people? Let's get her to the Big House."

No one moved, not even Chiron. They were all too stunned.

Then the girl took a shaky breath. She coughed and opened her eyes.

Her irises were startlingly blue—electric blue. Annabeth sucked in a breath.

The girl stared at him in bewilderment, shivering and wild-eyed. "Who—"

"I'm Percy," he said. "You're safe now."

"Strangest dream ..."

"It's okay."

"Dying."

"No," I assured her. "You're okay. What's your name?"

Understanding came just a second before the girl spoke:

"I am Thalia, daughter of Zeus."

 _Gods above…_

-o-

Everything after that was a blur. I remembered Chiron taking Thalia, daughter of Zeus inside the Big House with the cabin counselors for a debriefing; to let Thalia know what had happened and to discuss possible plans for the future. Mr. D (who had been woken up by the noise) rudely told everyone to go to bed or else. Most of us went. Most of us.

"Hunter," Melony asked, grabbing my elbow. Lyla Mitchell, a third-year camper, was leading the Hermes cabin away. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," I said, "but it's big. Go with everyone else and stay in the cabin."

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine. I just…need to deal with something."

"But—"

"Melony, please. Just trust me."

Reluctantly, she let go of my elbow. "Good luck," she murmured, hurrying after the rest of our cabin.

"Thanks," I said, even though she couldn't hear me.

The storm was still raging above us, the winds blowing the trees and leaves like crazy. Two crows stood on branches above me, cawing.

I found Grover in front of the forest, muttering to himself and pacing. "This is big," he was saying. "This is big, this is really really _really_ big."

"Grover."

He jumped. "H-Hunter. Hey, Hunter—hi, Hunter. W-what's up?"

"You've been avoiding me."

His eyes flicked left and right. "What? No I haven't, that's crazy talk. Um, can you tell your wolf to go away."

I turned. Sure enough, Winter was standing just behind me. _Didn't even hear her._ I turned back. "I have some questions."

He swallowed. "L-look, Hunter, I'd love to help but I—"

My hand shot out and grabbed his shirt collar. I pressed him against the tree behind him, then leaned in close. "Listen to me, you gibbering coward. As happy as I am that you're back, I won't let you escape this. It's simple—answer my questions, and I'll let you go. Try and run away or refuse, and I'll be serving mutton at the next meal. Understand?"

He nodded quickly.

"Good." I dropped him. "Why have you been avoiding me? Why have _all_ the nature spirits been avoiding me?"

He rubbed his neck. "Hunter, you know we're friends, but I…you…"

I held out my arm. "Does it have to do with this?" I showed him the mark—two circles, one smaller than the other, intersected by six lines seared into my skin.

He whimpered and looked up, eyes wide and full of fear. "Hunter, that mark, it's…it's _evil_ , and only _evil_ people have it."

"What does it mean?"

He stood up, using the tree for balance. "It's a sign from the gods used to identify…people like you."

"Like me?" _Has Artemis had more bastards that she never told me about?_

"…Skinwalkers." He hissed the word out, like he was afraid someone was watching. A crow cawed above us as the wind continued to howl.

"They're bad?"

"Yes," he said frantically. "Well, not at first. In the beginning, they were nature spirits—nymphs and satyrs and stuff—who could control animals. Like…like you." He pointed to Winter. "They weren't all bad. Then…then they figured out they could skinchange _trees_ too."

I raised an eyebrow. "Trees?"

"Mm-hmm. See into their life-force and stuff. That was _really_ bad. Then the power got passed to humans when they chased down the nymphs who could do it. They were able to _control_ us, Hunter. Through the roots and trees. See things they weren't supposed to see. Inhabit the minds and bodies of nymphs. To take over another being's consciousness…Hunter, to a nature spirit, that's evil. _Wrong._ It's…it's…it's…"

"…an abomination," I whispered.

He nodded once, rubbing his neck. "Yeah. That's what we call it. Abomination."

* * *

* Niobe's master plan will be expanded on in later ACTs.

A/N: Okay, that's part II. Please leave a review telling me what you thought—good, bad, okay, amazing, all are good. Don't be afraid to ask questions either, just don't be perturbed if I don't answer straight away.

Speaking of, I'll be away from this story for a few months. Since this is wrapped up, I'll be going on a little break before starting a new story. Once that's done, then I'll start writing part III. Just…be patient. I'm not abandoning this story (I never will), I'm just going on a hiatus. If you get tired of waiting, feel free to read some of my other stories if you're so inclined.

My next story will be called "The Outcast." Here's the description:

"When a son of Zeus by the Titan Metis is born, he is cast into the deepest parts of Erebus by his father, fearful that he might one day overthrow him. But when Kronos threatens to rise again, the shackles that bind Meraxes are cast off, and he joins their cause in an attempt to overthrow the man who caused him centuries of pain and torment, and the sister who let it happen."

If that looks interesting, feel free to read it. If not, then be patient. Hunter's story will continue, and several dynamics will change as it goes on. Until then, I will see you all next time.

Bye!


	26. Chapter 26

**The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Twenty-Six: Military School**

After an eight-hour drive, we made it to Westover Hall.

Percy had picked us up—well, his mom had, because he didn't have a driver's license yet. Ms. Jackson was sweet; bubbly personality, with curly dark hair and an easy smile. She looked like a good mom. _Not like mine._

Thalia and Annabeth came with us—apparently Grover had picked up on something in Maine, and sent an emergency distress signal asking for the four of us to come help. It was an eight-hour drive from New York to Bar Harbor, Maine. Sleet and snow pounded the highway. Nobody talked, except Ms. Jackson, who seemed too nervous to stop. Not that I blamed her.

I slid the knife I kept in my boot out, then slid it back in, just to make sure I could get it out easily if trouble came (which would certainly happen). I would've felt more confident if Winter had come with me, but my wolf was too big to fit in Ms. Jackson's car. As it was, Thalia, Annabeth, and I were packet so tight we could barely move.

It was dark by the time we arrived, and all of us were restless to move around.

Thalia wiped the fog off the car window and peered outside. "Oh, yeah. This'll be fun."

Westover Hall looked like an evil knight's castle. It was all black stone, with towers and slit windows and a big set of wooden double doors. It stood on a snowy cliff overlooking this big frosty forest on one side and the gray churning ocean on the other.

 _Have I been here before?_

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" Ms. Jackson asked. She was wearing the face Leto used to wear whenever I was climbing too high. _Darling, why don't you come down from there?_

"No, thanks, Mom," Percy said back. He was wearing the face _I_ used to wear whenever Leto got too worried; a mixture of annoyance and exasperation. "I don't know how long it'll take. We'll be okay."

"But how will you get back? I'm worried, Percy."

Annabeth leaned forward. "It's okay, Ms. Jackson." She smiled, hair tied back into a ski cap. "We'll keep him out of trouble."

Ms. Jackson visibly relaxed. "All right, dears. Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes, Ms. Jackson," Thalia said. "Thanks for the ride."

"Mom—"

"Your ambrosia and nectar, Percy? And a golden drachma in case you need to contact camp?"

"Mom, seriously! We'll be fine. Come on, guys."

Ms. Jackson looked a little hurt, but Percy had already opened the door and stepped out. Annabeth and Thalia followed after him, but since I was in the middle, it took me a little longer to shimmy my way out.

Just before I closed the door, Ms. Jackson said, "Oh, Hunter?"

"Yes, Ms. Jackson?"

"It was very nice to meet you. Percy's told me so much."

As she was driving away, I turned to Percy. "You talk about me?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes."

I smirked and pinched his cheek. "Isn't that sweet."

He slapped my hand away and scowled. Before he could say anything, Thalia said, "Your mom is so cool, Percy."

"She's pretty okay," he said. "What about you? You ever get in touch with your mom?"

Thalia was great at giving evil looks, what with the punk clothes she always wears—the ripped-up army jacket, black leather pants and chain jewelry, the black eyeliner and those intense blue eyes. But the look she gave Percy was a perfect evil "ten."

"If that was any of your business, Percy—"

"We'd better get inside," Annabeth interrupted. "Grover will be waiting."

Thalia looked at the castle and shivered. "You're right. I wonder what he found here that made him send the distress call."

"Nothing good," Percy guessed.

-o-

As the large oak doors groaned open, Percy said, "Woah."

I could understand what he was feeling. The inside was huge. The walls were lined with battle flags and weapon displays: antique rifles, battle-axes, and a bunch of other stuff. Jay had warned me about what to expect from a military school, but I never expected _this_. It all seemed a little much. _Maybe the headmaster is overcompensating for something_ , I thought.

A sort of tension hung in the air; all of us could feel it, and we knew something bad was coming.

Annabeth started to say, "I wonder where—" when the doors slammed shut behind us. _Guess we're staying a while._

Thalia cocked her head. "You guys hear that?"

We all listened. Music was coming from down the hall. _Dance music,_ I realized after a moment. We stashed our overnight bags behind a pillar and started walking toward the music. We had only made it a few seconds when an ugly man and an uglier woman stepped out of the shadows to intercept us. Both were dressed similarly: dark grey uniforms with red trim and grey hair.

"Well?" the woman demanded. "What are you doing here?"

Percy said, "Um…" I raised an eyebrow. _Did he not a plan in mind for once we got inside?_ That probably wasn't fair, though; plans were more Annabeth's thing.

"Ha!" the man snapped, which made me jump. "Visitors are not allowed at the dance! You shall be eee-jected!" He had an accent I didn't recognize, with a hawkish face made even uglier with his mismatched eyes.

Before he could do anything else, Thalia stepped forward and snapped her fingers. "Oh, but we're not visitors, sir," she said. "We go to school here. You remember: I'm Thalia. And this is Annabeth, Hunter, and Percy. We're in the eighth grade."

 _Mist manipulation,_ I thought. _Nice._ I was able to do something similar; use the Mist to distort one's vision or appearance, or even alter memories. I had learned to do it from Apollo, but I guess either Chiron or Mr. D had been teaching Thalia; my money was on the former.

The man looked at the woman. "Ms. Gottschalk, do you know these students?"

I smirked. _Gottschalk? Really?_

The woman blinked, like someone had just woken her up from a trance. "I…yes. I believe I do, sir."

She frowned at us. "Annabeth. Thalia. Hunter. Percy. What are you doing away from the gymnasium?"

Before we could answer, I heard more footsteps, and Grover ran up, breathless. "You made it!

You—" He stopped short when he saw the teachers. "Oh, Mrs. Gottschalk. Dr. Thorn! I, uh—"

"What is it, Mr. Underwood?" said the man. His tone made it clear that he detested Grover. "What do you mean, they made it? These students live here."

Grover swallowed. "Yes, sir. Of course, Dr. Thorn. I just meant, I'm so glad they made…the punch for the dance! The punch is great. And they made it!"

Dr. Thorn looked cross, but then Mrs. Gottschalk said dreamily, "Yes, the punch is excellent. Now run along, all of you. You are not to leave the gymnasium again!"

We didn't wait to be told twice. We left with a lot of "Yes, ma'ams" and "Yes, sirs" and a couple of salutes, with Grover hustling us down the hall in the direction of the music.

"How did you do that finger-snap thing?" Percy asked Thalia. _So he can't do that?_

"You mean the Mist? Hasn't Chiron shown you how to do that yet?"

Percy got a strange look in his eyes at that, but there was little time to dwell on it as Grover ushered us into the gymnasium.

"That was close!" he said. "Thank the gods you got here!" Both Annabeth and Thalia hugged him; Percy gave him a high five; and I gave him a nod. He and I had been friends a little over a year and a half ago, but ever since I began to awaken my skinchanging abilities, he had grown more distant, as had every other nature spirit at camp. We were still friendly, but not as close as Thalia, Annabeth, or Percy. I was honestly surprised that he had asked me to help.

He looked good. He'd gotten a little taller and had sprouted a few more whiskers, but otherwise he looked like he always did when he passed for human—a red cap on his curly brown hair to hide his goat horns, baggy jeans and sneakers with fake feet to hide his furry legs and hooves. He was wearing a black T-shirt that took me a few seconds to read. It said WESTOVER HALL: GRUNT.

"So what's the emergency?" Percy asked.

Grover took a deep breath. "I found two."

"Two half-bloods?" Thalia asked, amazed. "Here?"

Grover nodded. Finding one half-blood was rare enough. This year, Chiron had put the satyrs on emergency overtime and sent them all over the country, scouring schools from fourth grade through high school for possible recruits. These were desperate times. We were losing campers. We needed all the new fighters we could find. The problem was, there just weren't that many demigods out there.

"A brother and a sister," he said. "They're ten and twelve. I don't know their parentage, but they're strong. We're running out of time, though. I need help."

"Monsters?" Percy asked.

"One." Grover looked nervous. "He suspects. I don't think he's positive yet, but this is the last day of term. I'm sure he won't let them leave campus without finding out. It may be our last chance! Every time I try to get close to them, he's always there, blocking me. I don't know what to do!" He looked at Thalia desperately. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Percy tense. _What is up with him?_

"Right," she said. "These half-bloods are at the dance?"

Grover nodded.

"Then let's dance," Thalia said. "Who's the monster?"

"I have I guess," I said. "It wouldn't happen to be that sketchy-looking dude we just met, is it?"

Grover swallowed. "That's him. The vice principal, Dr. Thorn."

-o-

The gym was the complete opposite of what a military school should be: absolute pandemonium. There were black and red balloons all over the gym floor, and guys were kicking them in each other's faces, or trying to strangle each other with the crepe-paper streamers taped to the walls. Girls moved around in groups, wearing lots of makeup and spaghetti-strap tops and brightly colored pants and shoes that looked like torture devices. Every once in a while, they'd surround some poor guy like a pack of piranhas, shrieking and giggling, and when they finally moved on, the guy would have ribbons in his hair and a bunch of lipstick graffiti all over his face.

I frowned. _Too noisy._ Quiet was infinitely better than _this._ "So where are these half-bloods?" The sooner we get them and go, the better. _Maybe it was a mistake to send Ms. Jackson away._

"There they are." Grover nodded toward a couple of younger kids arguing in the bleachers. "Bianca and Nico di Angelo."

The girl wore a floppy green cap, like she was trying to hide her face. The boy was obviously her little brother. They both had dark silky hair and olive skin, and they used their hands a lot as they talked. The boy was shuffling some kind of trading cards. His sister seemed to be scolding him about something. She kept looking around like she sensed something was wrong.

I blinked. _Do they…look familiar?_ I was sure I had seen them somewhere, but where?

Annabeth said, "Do they…I mean, have you told them?"

Grover shook his head. "You know how it is. That could put them in more danger. Once they realize who they are, their scent becomes stronger."

A half-blood's godly side tended to produce an odor that monsters could smell and were attracted by. That was why it was so dangerous for us to leave camp, _especially_ demigods like Percy and Thalia, whose scent was probably a beacon for any monsters within a fifty-mile radius.

"So let's grab them and get out of here," Percy said. He started forward, but I grabbed his elbow. "What—?"

"Look," I said, pointing. Dr. Thorn had slipped into the gym and was staring right at us. By the look in his eyes, Thalia's Mist manipulation hadn't tricked him.

"Don't look at the kids," Thalia ordered. "We have to wait for a chance to get them. We need to pretend we're not interested in them. Throw him off the scent."

"How?" Percy asked.

"We're four powerful half-bloods. Our presence should confuse him. Mingle. Act natural. Do some dancing. But keep an eye on those kids."

"Dancing?" Annabeth asked.

Thalia nodded. She cocked her ear to the music and made a face. "Ugh. Who chose the Jesse McCartney?"

Grover looked hurt. "I did."

"Oh my gods, Grover. That is so lame. Can't you play, like, Green Day or something?"

"Green who?"

"Never mind. Let's dance."

"But I can't dance!"

"Then you stand aside, Grover," I said. I held out a hand. "Care to dance?"

"Don't mind if I do," Thalia said, taking my hand and pulling me onto the dance floor. When we found a place that wasn't too close to the other students, I put a hand on her waist and used the other hand to hold hers.

"Since when did you know how to slow dance?" Thalia asked, smirking. She put her other hand on my shoulder.

I rolled my eyes. "Leto _insisted_ I learn so that when I met a nice girl, I could take her dancing without stepping on her feet."

"You learned how to dance from your grandmother?" She looked highly amused.

Thalia knew all about who I really was; Annabeth had told her, and I made her promise not to tell anyone. She readily agreed, and I eventually opened up about how Apollo and Leto raised me in a cabin in New York, hidden from Artemis and the rest of the world. I didn't tell her everything, however; she had no idea about Niobe or Orion. Better to keep those things to myself.

Since waking up from being a tree (long story), she had spent a great deal of time with me, though she and Annabeth were still closer. Melony absolutely loved her, though Jay still kept his distance. I could understand why—a daughter of Zeus and a son of Hera? No way they'd get along. With all the crap Hera put her stepchildren through, Jay would have a target the size of the Empire State Building on his back. Jay had never told her—or anyone—his parentage, but still. No need to complicate things. Still, they got along well enough to practice spear fighting with each other. Jay had improved remarkably. Now he could last more than thirty seconds against me.

Melony had improved too. Her mother, Hestia, had been teaching her to control her pyrokinesis powers, and she was doing great. However, her hair _did_ tend to smolder and smoke whenever she got too excited or nervous. Luckily we kept a bucket on hand in case that ever happened.

"Oh yeah," I said. "That one _insists_ I meet a nice girl and give her lots of great-grandchildren."

She laughed. "How terrifying."

I smirked. "Are you kidding? A bunch of little mes running around? Who wouldn't love that?" _Artemis, for one. If she ignores her own kid, how would she react to being a grandmother? Unless they were all girls, I doubt she'd want anything to do with them._

A moment of comfortable silence as we moved to the music before Thalia spoke up again. "So you'd be interested in having kids?"

I shrugged. "If I meet the right person and they'd want to. You?"

"Never really thought about it. For the longest time all I thought about was surviving to the next day, then I was a tree, and now…"

"…we have a war to win."

She nodded. "Yeah."

"We'll get through it."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm me, and I know things. I know we're gonna make it through this all peachy, and Kronos is gonna spend eternity in Tartarus."

She smiled. "I hope you're right."

Another, though less comfortable, silence fell.

"So," I said, just to break the silence, "you know how to manipulate the Mist."

"Yeah, Chiron's been showing me. You?"

"Mm-hmm. I think I'm a little better than you, though."

She lifted an eyebrow. "Is that right?"

"Easy, Sparky," I said, smirking. "Only because I've been doing it for years. Apollo showed me how. I'd be happy to teach you some of what I know, if you'd like."

She smiled. "That sounds—"

"Guys!"

We turned. Annabeth and Grover were running toward us, weaving their way through the crowd. Thalia and I turned toward them. "What's going on?"

"The di Angelos," Grover said. "They're gone!"

-o-

Percy was with the kids behind the school, overlooking a cliff. Thorn was with them. He had a tail now, and his face looked longer than before.

Grover had managed to find Percy using something called an empathy link—apparently a mental link the two shared. How and when that had happened, I had no idea, but there were more pressing matters to deal with.

Annabeth rushed ahead, invisible thanks to her magic Yankees cap, a gift from her mother Athena. Meanwhile, Thalia and Grover snuck around behind Thorn, while I hung back with my bow, ready to fire. I pulled the drawstring to my ear and waited.

When Annabeth slammed into Percy, the monster was distracted enough for Thalia and Grover to charge. Aegis, Thalia's Medusa-faced shield, was out, and her spear was crackling with lightning. The visage was so like Medusa that most looked away from fear—even though I've seen the real Medusa, her shield was pretty damn scary.

Apparently Thorn agreed, because he hissed and turned away.

Thalia moved in with her spear. "For Zeus!" Thalia jabbed at his head, but he snarled and swatted the spear aside. His hand changed into an orange paw, with enormous claws that sparked against Thalia's shield as he slashed. If it hadn't been for Aegis, Thalia would've been sliced like a loaf of bread. As it was, she managed to roll backward and land on her feet.

The sound of helicopter blades ripped through the air, but I had to ignore that. I released my arrow, and it pierced the monster's side. He roared and ripped it out, throwing it to the ground. He launched a volley of thin projectiles at me, but I managed to roll away. As I came up, I kept firing, each one hitting home; I couldn't miss.

Meanwhile, Grover sprang forward. He put his reed pipes to his lips and began to play—a frantic jig that sounded like something pirates would dance to. Grass broke through the snow. Within seconds, rope-thick weeds were wrapping around Dr. Thorn's legs, entangling him.

Dr. Thorn roared and began to change. He grew larger until he was in his true form—his face still human, but his body that of a huge lion. His leathery, spiky tail whipped deadly thorns in all directions.

"A manticore!" Annabeth said, now visible. Her magical New York Yankees cap had come off when she'd plowed into us.

"Who are you people?" Bianca di Angelo demanded. "And what is that?"

"A manticore?" Nico gasped. "He's got three thousand attack power and plus five to saving throws!"

I had no idea what in _Hades_ that meant, but I didn't have time to dwell on that, as Thorn tore the weeds from his feet, smacked Grover aside, and charged at me.

"Of course," I muttered, moving aside just in time to avoid the creature's claws. He kept making swipes, but I was agile enough to avoid them. I kept moving back or to the side, but the monster was always a second behind me. Luckily I was faster than he was.

"Surrender!" the monster shouted, smashing the snow I had been standing on.

"Never!" Thalia cried, charging. She almost ran him through, but then there was a thunderous noise and a blaze of light from behind us. The helicopter appeared out of the mist, hovering just beyond the cliffs. It was a sleek black military-style gunship, with attachments on the sides that looked like laser-guided rockets.

 _Mortals?_ I thought. _What are mortals doing with Thorn?_

The searchlights blinded Thalia, and the manticore swatted her away with its tail. Her shield flew off into the snow. Her spear flew in the other direction.

"NO!" Percy shouted, throwing himself on top of Thalia, using his shield to block whatever blows would come next.

Dr. Thorn laughed. "Now do you see how hopeless it is? Yield, little heroes."

I raised my bow, and a hunting horn cut through the air. It was a sound I recognized.

 _No,_ I thought, teeth clenched. _Not her, not now._

The manticore froze. For a moment, no one moved. There was only the swirl of snow and wind and the chopping of the helicopter blades.

"No," Dr. Thorn said. "It cannot be—"

His sentence was cut short when something shot past me like a streak of moonlight. A glowing silver arrow sprouted from Dr. Thorn's shoulder.

He staggered backward, wailing in agony.

"Curse you!" Thorn cried. He unleashed his spikes, dozens of them at once, into the woods where the arrow had come from, but just as fast, silvery arrows shot back in reply. The arrows sliced through Thorn's spikes, cutting them in two. The manticore pulled the arrow out of his shoulder with a howl of pain. His breathing was heavy.

I put my bow away. _It's almost over._

Percy rushed him, but was swatted aside.

Then the Hunters emerged.

They were exactly as I remembered—a little over a dozen girls between the ages of eight and seventeen, all with silver jackets and bows.

"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried.

 _And their mistress, always so close to her dogs._

Zoe Nightshade stepped forward, her silver band glowing almost incessantly in the moonlight. "Permission to kill, my lady?"

The monster wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws."

"Not so," came a commanding voice. Another girl stepped forward; thirteen, with long auburn hair and silver-yellow eyes. Just like mine. Her face was serious and calm. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at her lieutenant. "Zoe, permission granted."

The manticore growled. "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!" He lunged at Thalia and Percy.

"No!" Annabeth yelled, and she charged the monster.

My breath caught in my throat. _What are you doing, you idiot!_ "Annabeth, _stop_!"

"Get back, half-blood!" the girl with the circlet said. "Get out of the line of fire!"

But Annabeth leaped onto the monster's back and drove her knife into his mane. The manticore howled, turning in circles with his tail flailing as Annabeth hung on for dear life.

"Fire!" Zoe ordered.

"No!" Percy screamed.

" _Don't!_ " I yelled. The Hunters ignored us, and let loose their arrows.

The first caught the manticore in the neck. Another hit his chest. The manticore staggered backward, wailing, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!"

And before anyone could react, the monster, with Annabeth still on his back, leaped over the cliff and tumbled into the darkness.

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled.

Above us, there was a snapping sound—gunfire.

I tackled the di Angelos out of the way as the Hunters scattered.

"Mortals," the goddess announced, "are not allowed to witness my hunt."

She thrust out her hand, and the helicopter exploded into dust—no, not dust. The black metal dissolved into a flock of birds—crows, which scattered into the night.

The Hunters advanced.

I rolled off the di Angelos. "You two all right?"

"What's _happening_?" the girl asked. Poor thing looked close to tears.

"We'll explain soon," I promised, helping them to their feet. "Just give it a few minutes."

Meanwhile, Percy was speaking heatedly with Zoe Nightshade and the goddess.

"Let me go!" he was saying as we got closer. "Who do you think you are?"

Zoe raised a hand to slap him. A surge of anger boiled over me, and I moved forward and grabbed her wrist. "Don't you touch him."

She whirled around. "Oh, _you._ " She wrenched her hand away.

"Me," I said. "You'd better watch the attitude, Zoe, before you make me do something you regret."

Zoe took a step forward—

"Stop," her goddess ordered. "Zoe, stand down."

She did, but she looked venomous.

The auburn-haired girl looked at me. _Finally noticing me?_ She held my gaze for a several moments, before Percy broke in.

"I don't understand. Who are you people?"

"I am Artemis," the girl said, never taking her eyes off me. "Goddess of the Hunt." Her edges of her lips twitched upwards. "Hello, my son."

* * *

A/N: Did you miss me? Tell me what you thought of this chapter in a review. If you want to be alerted to my updates, follow and favorite. Until then, I will see you all next time.

Bye!


	27. Chapter 27

The Sorrowful Deity: I wonder if Hunter will spoil Artemis' efforts to get Bianca into the hunt, if she does will he bond with Nico?

You'll find out in this chapter!

I-lander's Mask: Wouldn't Hunter take charge since he is the oldest? Wouldn't Annabeth and Percy look up to Hunter in some way wouldn't they listen to his counsel if that makes sense?

Great questions! Okay, to answer your first one—While Hunter is the oldest biologically (he was born a day before Thalia, who was born on December 22 and aged slower due to being a tree), he didn't take charge because a big part of book three is the battle of dominance between Thalia and Percy, and Hunter's been around them both enough to know _something's_ going on between them, and he's more focused on having a level head in case trouble inevitably finds them. He will start to balance the two out later on, but for right now he's hands-off. (Which will build into a little bit of guilt about Annabeth later on.)

As for your second question, while Annabeth and Percy do respect Hunter, there was really no "counsel" to be given last chapter, since everything escalated pretty quickly and the group split up almost immediately. As said earlier, Hunter will take charge every once in a while, and Percy—and Thalia too—will definitely take his words into account.

Okay everyone, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask them. I promise to respond in the following chapter.

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Twenty-Eight: Thalia Almost Gets Us All Killed**

"Do not call me that," I said. "My name is Hunter. You may address me as such."

Artemis blinked. "I know what your—" She was interrupted by Grover throwing himself at her feet.

"Thank you, Lady Artemis!" he gushed. "You're so…you're so…Wow!"

"Get up, goat boy!" Thalia snapped. "We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!"

"Quite right," I said. "And who do we have to thank for _that_?" I glared at Artemis and her lieutenant.

Zoe looked ready to bite my head off, but Artemis said, "We never meant for that to happen."

"Oh, no? Because shooting at a monster while a girl clings to his back couldn't _possibly_ have ended bad, could it?"

Artemis's eyes hardened. "Listen here—"

"Whoa," Bianca di Angelo said. "Hold up. Time out." She looked on the verge of panic. "Who…who are you people?"

Artemis's expression softened. "It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are you. Who are your parents?"

Bianca glanced nervously at her brother, who was still staring in awe at Artemis. I rolled my eyes. _She doesn't even know you're here, kid._ "Our parents are dead," Bianca said. "We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but…" Her lips turned downward. "I'm telling the truth."

I put my hands out. "We believe you, Bianca, really."

She blinked at me. "You look familiar."

"As do you. But your parents—well, one of them—aren't dead."

"What do you—?"

"You are a half-blood," Zoe Nightshade said "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an

Olympian."

"An Olympian…athlete?"

"No," Zoe said. "One of the gods."

"Cool!" said Nico.

"No!" Bianca snapped. "This is not cool!"

Nico danced from one foot to the other. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for— "

"Nico, shut up!" Bianca put her hands to her face. "This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"

"Bianca," Thalia said, like she was comforting an injured animal. "I know it's hard to believe. But the gods are still around. Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us, well…Our lives are dangerous."

"Like the girl who fell."

Thalia turned away. Artemis took a step forward. "Do not despair for Annabeth. She was a brave maiden. If she can be found, I shall find her."

"Then why won't you let us go look for her?" Percy asked.

"She is gone. Can't you sense it, son of Poseidon? Some magic is at work. I do not know exactly how or why, but your friend has vanished."

I scoffed. "Aren't you a hunting goddess? Shouldn't you be able to track her, or are you as terrible a huntress as you are a mother?"

Suddenly the whole surrounding area seemed to freeze. Zoe looked on the verge of stabbing me, while everyone else looked at me in shock. Artemis was looking at me like I had just kicked her puppy.

"Woah, Hunter," Percy said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Maybe you should—"

"No," Artemis said. "It is all right." She blinked back tears. _Crying, now? Seriously?_ "My s—Hunter is not incorrect. Something is at work, some sorcery, blocking my ability to sense where your friend is has gone. But I will find a scent, and I will bring your friend back."

"What about Thorn?" I asked, much more calmly. "If he took Annabeth someplace, could you use _his_ scent to find her?"

"It is a possibility, but I cannot be sure for now."

"Wait," Nica cut in. "Is Thorn dead? You shot him with arrows."

"Hopefully he is destroyed for now, but monsters like him never truly die," Artemis said. "They re-form over and over again, and they must be hunted whenever they reappear."

"Or they'll hunt us," Thalia said.

Bianca di Angelo shivered. "That explains… Nico, you remember last summer, those guys who tried to attack us in the alley in DC?"

"And that bus driver," Nico said. "The one with the ram's horns. I told you that was real!"

 _A satyr?_ I thought. _Would a satyr really attack them, or did they just misunderstand the situation?_

"That's why Grover has been watching you," Percy said. "To keep you safe, if you turned out to be half-bloods."

"Grover?" Bianca stared at him. "You're a demigod?"

"Well, a satyr, actually." He kicked off his shoes and displayed his goat hooves. The color drained from the girl's face.

"Grover, put your shoes back on," Thalia said. "You're freaking her out."

"Hey, my hooves are clean!"

"Bianca," Percy said, "we came here to help you. You and Nico need training to survive. Dr. Thorn won't be the last monster you meet. You need to come to camp."

"Camp?" she asked.

"Camp Half-Blood. It's where half-bloods learn to survive and stuff. You can join us, stay there year-round if you like."

"Awesome!" Nico cried.

"Wait," Bianca shook her head. "I don't—"

"There is another option," Zoe said.

"No, there isn't!" Thalia and I said.

The Huntress glared at the two of us.

"We've burdened these children enough," Artemis announced. "Zoe, we will rest here for a few hours. Raise the tents. Treat the wounded. Retrieve our guests' belongings from the school."

"Yes, my lady."

"And, Bianca, come with me. I would like to speak with you."

"What about me?" Nico asked.

Artemis glanced at him. "Perhaps you can show Grover how to play that card game you enjoy. I'm sure Grover would be happy to entertain you for a while…as a favor to me?"

Grover looked like he had just gotten an all-expense-paid trip to Elysium. "You bet! Come on, Nico!"

I scowled. _Played like a fiddle._

Grover led Nico away while the Hunters dispersed, setting up their camp. Artemis led Bianca along the cliff.

Thalia stamped her foot in frustration. "The nerve of those Hunters! They think they're so…Argh!"

"I'm with you," Percy said. "I don't trust—"

"Oh, you're with me?" Thalia turned on him. "What were you thinking back there in the gym, Percy? You'd take on Dr. Thorn all by yourself? You knew he was a monster! If we'd stuck together, we could've taken him without the Hunters getting involved. Annabeth might still be here. Did you think of that?"

Percy's jaw tightened. "I didn't think we'd have enough time! Besides, you guys were too far away, I couldn't be sure when Annabeth would find you guys."

"So it's _our_ fault that Annabeth's gone?"

"I never said that."

"No, but—"

"Enough," I said. "We're all at fault here. Percy should've waited for us, and we should have kept a closer eye on the di Angelos. But that doesn't matter now. All that matters is getting Annabeth back."

Percy bent down and picked something up. Annabeth's New York Yankees baseball cap. Thalia wiped her eyes and stormed off. Percy took a seat on the ground, so I went to go find Nico and Grover.

They were sequestered near the tree line, talking quickly. When I walked over, Grover said, "Hi, Hunter."

"Hey. How you doing?"

He shrugged. "Pretty good. I mean, I'm worried about Annabeth, but I know we'll find her."

"And how are you, Nico?"

"Really good. This is so cool!" He looked up at me. "You look really familiar."

"You do as well. You mind if I ask you some questions?"

"Sure."

"Where are you from?"

"I was born in Italy, but we moved here when I was six."

"That's really cool. Can you speak Italian?"

"Mm-hmm."

I smiled at him. "You mind saying something for me?"

"Sure! Hmm…" He thought about it. "Oh! Il mio nome e Nico. Piacere di conoscerti."

"Very cool. So how did you—"

"I remember you!"

I blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"You're the archery guy from the hotel!"

"What are you—" _Oh._ A memory came back: a kid with black hair watching as I shot targets. I quickly put on a smile and snapped my fingers. "Right! Oh, wow, it's been so long. I didn't think I'd see you guys again. I mean, the _Lotus Hotel_ is so far away from here." Grover caught my emphasis and his eye's widened.

"I know! You were so cool! Bianca got super good after what you told her, but she couldn't beat the master difficulty."

"I'm not surprised. It _was_ really difficult." _How long was he in there?_ "Say, Nico, you see that dark-haired boy over there?"

"The one that fought the monster?"

"That's him. Why don't you go ask him to show you his sword?"

"Okay!" He hurried off.

I turned to Grover quickly. "Mention _nothing_ to him."

He nodded. "Yeah. How long was he in there?"

"I don't know, but we need to keep an eye on him. And his sister."

"Yeah. I'll go tell Percy and Thalia."

"I'll come with you."

We were about halfway to the fire when I heard, "Um…Hunter?" I turned. Daphne was standing behind me, arms gripped tightly together. She looked good; she was a little less thin, and her hair was actually clean. She wore a grey hunting jacket, with a matching bow to boot.

"Hey, Dot," I said, awkward. The last time we had seen each other, I had called her stupid for joining the Hunters. It was a mistake made in anger, and I felt nothing but disgust for how I had acted toward her.

"I'm sorry," we both said.

I blinked. "Why are you sorry?"

She stubbed her toe in the ground. "I joined the Hunters, even though you—"

"You don't need to apologize for that. _I_ should apologize, I was way out of line. As long as you're happy, I'm happy. And I'm sorry."

"'s okay. Everyone's super nice, and I'm learning a lot!"

"That's nice. You look like you're getting enough to eat."

"Mm-hmm! And Zoe's been teaching me how to shoot."

"Has she?" Hopefully she wasn't corrupting Daphne too. "That's very—"

"Boy," Zoe said, suddenly next to me. "Lady Artemis wishes to speak with thee."

"Tell her—"

"She insisted." She turned and walked away, leaving me no choice to follow after a quick goodbye to Daphne. She led me to the last tent in the crescent.

The inside was warm and comfortable. Silk rugs and pillows covered the floor. In the center, a golden brazier of fire seemed to burn without fuel or smoke. Behind Artemis, on a polished oak

display stand, was her huge silver bow, carved to resemble gazelle horns. The walls were hung with animal pelts: black bear, tiger, and several others. A familiar deer was resting its head in her lap—the Ceryneian Hind, another memento from our trip to Vegas.

"Join us, child," Artemis said. From the sounds of it, she had forgotten—or forgiven—my insult from earlier.

I took a seat across from her.

"How are you, Hunter?"

"I'm fine," I said. Then, after an awkward silence: "You?"

"I am doing well." She smiled. "Thank you."

I swallowed some choice words and instead said, "What do you want, Artemis?"

"To see how you are doing. It's been some time since we spoke."

I frowned. "You could have called. Quick dream or Iris-message, easy things for you immortals."

She sighed. "Not as easy as you might think, I'm afraid."

I clenched my fists. This was going nowhere, and Annabeth was in the hands of some monster! "Is there some reason you called me in here that's more important than finding my friend?"

"Watch your tongue, boy," Zoe snapped. She had sat down next to Artemis, across from Bianca and me.

Artemis raised a hand. "It's all right, Zoe." She gave a comforting smile. "You must forgive my Hunters if they do not welcome you or your friends."

"'Must' I?"

Artemis thought about that. "I suppose not. Still, their behavior is not unwarranted. It is very rare that we would have boys in this camp. Boys are usually forbidden to have any contact with the Hunters." _That doesn't mean you can mistreat or abuse them, you sexist bi—_ "The last one to see this camp…" She looked at Zoe. "Which one was it?"

"That boy in Colorado," Zoe said. "You turned him into a jackalope."

"Ah, yes." Artemis nodded, satisfied. "I enjoy making jackalopes." At that point I was nearly ready to walk out. "At any rate, Hunter, I've asked you here so that you might tell me more of the manticore. Bianca has reported some of the…mmm, disturbing things the monster said. But she may not have understood them. I'd like to hear them from you."

I told her what had happened as curtly and quickly as I could.

When I was done, Artemis put her hand thoughtfully on her silver bow. "I feared this was the answer."

Zoe sat forward. "The scent, my lady?"

"Yes."

"Scent?" I asked.

"Things are stirring that I have not hunted in millennia," Artemis murmured. "Prey so old I have nearly forgotten."

 _Like Skinwalkers?_

She stared at me intently. "We came here tonight sensing the manticore, but he was not the one I seek. Tell me again, exactly what Dr. Thorn said."

"I couldn't tell you," I said. "I only got there after he and Percy started fighting. You'll need to speak with him if you want your answers." She didn't look happy at that, which certainly improved my mood.

"Very well," she said. "Zoe, please go and fetch the son of Poseidon—"

"He has a name."

"—and bring him here. Thank you." Zoe gave a nod and went. "In the meantime," Artemis said, turning to Bianca, "have you thought about my offer, dear girl?"

 _Here we go._ Bianca hesitated. "I'm still thinking about it."

"There shouldn't be anything to think about," I said.

She turned. "What do you mean?"

"You understand what their pledge means, right? You'd be giving up everything, even your family. Are you really going to abandon Nico—your little brother, who you've known for his entire life—to run around the woods with a couple of girls you _just met_?"

"I—"

"Don't tell me you've thought about him, because you clearly haven't. Bianca, you will hardly see him after today. Are you really comfortable with watching your brother grow old and die while you stay the same age for the rest of your life?"

"She would have a new family," Artemis interjected. "We would care for her."

"Only until she falls in love or wants to leave, then you kick her to the curb and leave her out in the cold. Bianca, trust me, Artemis doesn't truly care about you."

She gave me a hard look. "And how would you know?"

"Because I'm her son," I said. "But she doesn't care about me. In the fifteen years I've been alive, we've spoken a total of three times, with this being one of them—and one other time being because we just stumbled upon each other by accident! So, Bianca, if she willingly ignores her son—her only child—then how much does she care about you?"

"Enough!" Artemis said, rising to her feet. "You known nothing about what you say."

"I know enough!" I got to my feet as well. "I know I'm just some abomination you'd rather forget about—another stunning failure you'd rather sweep under the rug. You never cared about me, Artemis, we both know it. All you ever cared about was saving face; that's why you never claimed me, why you never told your Hunters about me. The only reason you probably haven't killed me yet is because it isn't worth the effort because I'm a _boy._ "

She flinched as if struck. "I would _never_ —"

"Don't bother, I grow tired of hearing your voice." I turned to Bianca. "Go on, Bianca, join them. Be a selfish coward, just like the rest of them." I turned and walked out the tent, shoving past Zoe and Percy.

-o-

I stood on the edge of the cliff, staring down at the blue-grey waves as they crashed against the rocks. Annabeth had fallen from this spot, still on Thorn's back. _What were you thinking?_ I thought. A knot formed in my stomach. _It was my fault. I should've aimed for the eyes, or his mouth, or…some other vital part. I could've ended it, but I didn't, and now you're in his hands._

"We'll find you," I promised. "Just hold on."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Percy exit Artemis's tent. I went to join him, as did Thalia and Grover. Bianca went to talk to her brother, and I was pleased to see she didn't have the silver Hunter aura. The three of us huddled around Percy, shivering.

"Well?"

He told us what had happened between him and the goddess. Apparently some beast was on the loose, and Artemis was going after it alone. Meanwhile, the Hunters would be accompanying us to Camp Half-Blood. As angry as that made me, a small part of me was happy that Daphne would be close. Bianca had turned down the offer to join the Hunt, and Apollo would be picking us up. I perked up at that, but then grew nervous. My last talk with the sun god hadn't gone well, and we hadn't spoken since. Still, for all his annoyances, I missed him.

Grover went pale. "The last time the Hunters visited camp, it didn't go well."

Before I could ask what he meant, Percy said, "How'd they even show up here? I mean, they just appeared out of nowhere."

"It's one of the powers they have," I said. "They were probably tracking Thorn's scent, and the forest camouflaged them so they could get close. They're fast too, so I doubt Thorn was able to sense _them_ until it was too late."

"Like you?" Thalia asked. "I mean, you're one of the fastest demigods I know, and you can hide pretty well in the forest during capture the flag."

I shrugged. "To a lesser extent, I suppose. I spent most of my life in a forest, so I know how to blend in, but the speed thing is probably just one of my natural abilities, like Percy's ability to breathe underwater or your lightning capabilities."

That seemed to satisfy them, and we went to stand by Artemis, who was staring out at the horizon.

After a bit of uncomfortable silence, I said, "How much longer?"

"Not long," she replied, giving me a smile. "Just a little while."

I crossed my arms. "Thank gods."

After a few more minutes, the sky began to lighten. "About time," Artemis said. "He's sooo lazy during the winter."

I chuckled. Indeed, Apollo always hated being active in the winter. _But it's sooooo coooold!_

 _Come on, I wanna play!_

 _Uuuuugh!_

"So, um," Percy said, "you're waiting for the sunrise?"

"For my brother, yes." After a moment, she said, "It's not exactly as you think."

I frowned. What did she mean by that?"

"Oh, okay," Percy said, letting out a breath. "So it's not actually a chariot."

"Not quite."

Before he could say anything else, there was a blast of heat, and I shut my eyes. _Here we go._ The knot was back, but I pushed it down. Meanwhile, Artemis commanded everyone to look away.

When the light died, I opened my eyes. A bright red convertible Maserati Spyder stood before us, hot metal still glowing. The snow around us had melted in a perfect circle, and I had to stifle the groan at feeling the water soak down to my socks. _Nothing_ was worse than wet socks.

Apollo stepped out, smiling. He wore jeans with loafers and a sleeveless T-shirt. His long hair was golden and his teeth white as milk. I couldn't help the smile that was forming on my face. It was good to see him again.

"Wow," Thalia muttered. "Apollo is hot." I gagged a little at that.

"He's the sun god," Percy said.

"That's not what I meant."

"Little sister!" Apollo called. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"

Artemis sighed. "I'm fine, Apollo. And I am not your little sister."

"Hey, I was born first."

"We're twins! How many millennia do we have to argue—"

"So what's up?" he interrupted. "Got the girls with you, I see. You all need some tips on archery?"

Artemis grit her teeth. "I need a favor. I have some hunting to do, alone. I need you to take my companions to Camp Half-Blood."

"Sure, sis!" Then he raised his hands in a stop everything gesture. "I feel a haiku coming on."

Everyone (including me) groaned. Apollo had been obsessed with haikus since his trip to Japan a few years ago. Unfortunately, that meant I was usually his audience. "Please, gods, no."

A heartbeat later, I realized I had spoken. When Apollo looked at me, he seemed taken aback, but then his smile returned and he spread his arms. "Hunter! Look at you; baby boy's growing up. You're so much _taller_ than last time."

He closed the distance between us and pulled me into a hug. I was surprised, then said, "Good to see you too." I tried to push away.

"Ah-ah," he said. "Not till you hug back."

My face was probably as red as his car, but I hugged him back anyway, burying my face in his chest so no one would see my blush. "I hate you so much."

"Love you too, buddy. Oh, don't look at me like that, sis. You jealous?"

" _Apollo_."

He sighed. " _Fiiine_." He let go and took a step back. "So, you two bury the hatchet?"

I scowled and crossed my arms.

"We have not," Artemis said.

"Oh." The sun god looked between us, back and forth, back and forth. "So…"

"Camp Half-Blood," I said. "Can you get us there or not?"

"Couse I can!" he said, smile returning. "Good timing, too. I was just about ready to roll. Let's see…" He turned to Thalia. "Thalia, right? I've heard all about you."

Thalia blushed. "Hi, Lord Apollo."

"Zeus's girl, yes? Makes you my half-sister. Used to be a tree, didn't you? Glad you're back. I hate it when pretty girls turn into trees. Man, I remember one time—"

"Brother," Artemis said. "You should get going."

"Oh, right." Then he looked at Percy, and his eyes narrowed. "Percy Jackson?"

"Yeah. I mean… yes, sir."

Percy and Apollo stared at each other for a few seconds, silent. For a moment I wondered if Apollo was undressing Percy with his eyes, but then stopped that thought because…ew. Not that I blamed him, but still. Ew.

"Well!" Apollo said at last. "We'd better load up, huh? Ride only goes one way—west. And if you miss it, you miss it."

"Cool car," Nico said.

"Thanks, kid."

"But how will we all fit?"

"Oh." Apollo seemed to notice the problem for the first time. "Well, yeah. I hate to change out of sports-car mode, but I suppose…"

He took out his car keys and beeped the security alarm button.

For a moment, the car glowed brightly again. When the glare died, the Maserati had been replaced by one of those Turtle Top shuttle buses like we used for school basketball games.

"Right," he said. "Everybody in."

Zoe ordered the Hunters to start loading. She picked up her camping pack, and Apollo said, "Here, sweetheart. Let me get that."

Zoe recoiled. Her eyes flashed murderously.

"Brother," Artemis chided. "You do not help my Hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my Hunters. And you do not call them sweetheart."

Apollo spread his hands. "Sorry. I forgot. Hey, sis, where are you off to, anyway?"

"Hunting," Artemis said. "It's none of your business."

"I'll find out. I see all. Know all."

Artemis snorted. "Just drop them off, Apollo. And no messing around!"

"No, no! I never mess around."

Artemis rolled her eyes, then looked at us. "I will see you by winter solstice. Zoe, you are in charge of the Hunters. Do well. Do as I would do."

Zoe straightened. "Yes, my lady."

"Take care of yourself, Hunter," the goddess said, offering a smile. I said nothing. Turning, Artemis knelt and touched the ground as if looking for tracks. When she rose, she looked troubled. "So much danger. The beast must be found."

"Right." Apollo turned and grinned, jangling the car keys on his finger. "So," he said. "Who wants to drive?"

I raised a hand. "I will."

"No."

"I've done it before."*

" _No."_ Apollo seemed a shade paler than before.

"Apollo?" came Artemis's voice. She was looking at her brother with a neutral face, but it was impossible not to hear the edge to her voice. "What did he just say?"

Apollo laughed. "Oh, Hunter was just joking. _Weren't you?_ " He put a hand on the back of my neck and squeezed.

I scowled and said, "Of course. Only joking."

"Good," came the reply, as Artemis slowly crossed over to where Apollo was standing, until they were less than a foot apart. "Because if I find out you let my only child drive that thing you call a car, you and I are going to have a serious talk."

"Don't worry." Apollo waved a hand. "I would _never_ do such a thing."

She eyed him for another moment, then said, "Good." After that, she turned and sprinted toward the woods and melted into the snow and shadows.

When she was gone, Apollo let out a breath, then whirled on me. "Next time, keep your mouth _shut_."

I smirked. "I could. Or I could tell her about your motorcycle collection."

Apollo owns an entire garage full of luxury motorcycles, and he likes to take them out every now and then to have a little fun (and impress the local mortals), and every once and a while, once I was old enough, we'd have a race. All behind Leto's back, of course. She'd _freak_ if she ever caught us in the act.

"You _wouldn't._ "

"Try me, old man."

Apollo looked like he wanted to say more, but he held up a hand. "You know what? It is too early to get into this with you. Everyone on the bus!"

The Hunters piled into the van. They all crammed into the back so they'd be as far away as possible from Apollo and the rest of us disgusting males. Bianca stuck with us, sitting down in the seat across from Percy and Thalia. I sat next to Grover behind them

"This is so cool!" Nico said, jumping up and down in the driver's seat. "Is this really the sun? I thought Helios and Selene were the sun and moon gods. How come sometimes it's them and sometimes it's you and Artemis?"

"Downsizing," Apollo said. "The Romans started it. They couldn't afford all those temple sacrifices, so they laid off Helios and Selene and folded their duties into our job descriptions. My sis got the moon. I got the sun. It was pretty annoying at first, but at least I got this cool car."

"But how does it work?" Nico asked. "I thought the sun was a big fiery ball of gas!"

Apollo chuckled and ruffled Nico's hair. "That rumor probably got started because Artemis used to call me a big fiery ball of gas."

"She's not wrong," I said.

Apollo ignored that. "Seriously, kid, it depends on whether you're talking astronomy or philosophy. You want to talk astronomy? Bah, what fun is that? You want to talk about how humans think about the sun? Ah, now that's more interesting. They've got a lot riding on the sun…er, so to speak. It keeps them warm, grows their crops, powers engines, makes everything look, well, sunnier. This chariot is built out of human dreams about the sun, kid. It's as old as Western Civilization. Every day, it drives across the sky from east to west, lighting up all those puny little mortal lives. The chariot is a manifestation of the sun's power, the way mortals perceive it. Make sense?"

Nico shook his head. "No."

"Well then, just think of it as a really powerful, really dangerous solar car."

"Can I drive?"

"No. Too young."

"Oo! Oo!" Grover raised his hand.

"Mm, no," Apollo said. "Too furry." He looked past Percy and focused on Thalia.

"Daughter of Zeus!" he said. "Lord of the sky. Perfect."

"Oh, no." Thalia shook her head." No, thanks."

"C'mon," Apollo said. "How old are you?"

Thalia hesitated. "I don't know."

Unfortunately for Thalia, that was the truth. She'd still aged in that tree, but slowly. Nobody really knew how old she was. Biologically she was nineteen, but emotionally, she was only twelve. As far as Chiron knew, she was somewhere between that.

Apollo tapped his finger to his lips. "You're fifteen, almost sixteen."

"How do you know that?"

"Hey, I'm the god of prophecy. I know stuff. You'll turn sixteen in about a week."

"That's my birthday! December twenty-second."

"Same!" I said. "Well, close enough. December twenty-first."

She grinned at me. "We gotta make it a double."

"I'll bring the cake if you bring the ice cream."

She laughed. "You got it."

"That also means you're old enough now to drive with a learner's permit!" Apollo said.

Thalia shifted her feet nervously. "Uh—"

"I know what you're going to say," Apollo said. "You don't deserve an honor like driving the sun

chariot."

"That's not what I was going to say."

"Don't sweat it! Maine to Long Island is a really short trip, and don't worry about what happened to the last kid I trained. You're Zeus's daughter. He's not going to blast _you_ out of the sky."

The last kid Apollo had trained was his son, a boy named Alexander. It was his sixteenth birthday, and Apollo had taken him out for a little lesson as a birthday present. Zeus hadn't liked that. For the following six months after that Apollo was pretty glum (understandably), and I only saw him once or twice in that time. After that, Apollo made a point of _never_ taking anyone into the sky again. I hoped Zeus wouldn't do anything to us like he'd done to Alexander. With Percy on board, it was hard to tell.

Thalia tried to protest, but Apollo was absolutely not going to take "no" for an answer. He hit a button on the dashboard, and a sign popped up along the top of the windshield. It said WARNING: STUDENT DRIVER.

"Take it away!" Apollo told Thalia. "You're gonna be a natural!"

I highly doubted that. Thalia practically _screamed_ anxious. I could see sweat beginning to form on her brow, and her knuckles were white as snow.

"Speed equals heat," Apollo advised. "So start slowly, and make sure you've got good altitude before you really open her up."

Thalia gripped the wheel tightly. She looked like she was going to be sick. _Something isn't right._ I moved up a seat to where Thalia had been, so now I was behind the driver's seat.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked her.

"Nothing," she said shakily. "N-nothing is wrong."

She pulled back on the wheel. It tilted, and the bus lurched upward so fast I slammed into Percy.

"Ow."

"Sorry."

"Slower!" Apollo said.

"Sorry!" Thalia said. "I've got it under control!"

Outside, I saw a smoking ring of trees from the clearing where we'd taken off.

"Thalia," Percy said, "lighten up on the accelerator."

"I've got it, Percy," she said, gritting her teeth. But she kept it floored.

"Loosen up," I told her. _If she isn't careful we'll crash._

"I'm loose!" Thalia said. She was so stiff she looked like she was made out of plywood.

"We need to veer south for Long Island," Apollo said. "Hang a left."

Thalia jerked the wheel and again threw me into Percy, who yelped.

"The other left," Apollo suggested.

I made the mistake of looking out the window again. We were at airplane height now—so high the sky was starting to look black.

"Ah…" Apollo said, and I got the feeling he was forcing himself to sound calm. "A little lower, sweetheart. Cape Cod is freezing over."

Thalia tilted the wheel. Her face was chalk white; her forehead beaded with sweat. Something was definitely wrong. I'd never seen her like this.

The bus pitched down and Percy screamed. We were heading straight toward the Atlantic Ocean at a thousand miles an hour, the New England coastline off to our right. And it was getting hot in the bus.

Apollo had been thrown somewhere in the back of the bus, but he started climbing up the rows of seats.

"Take the wheel!" Grover begged him.

"No worries," Apollo said. He looked plenty worried. "She just has to learn to—WHOA!"

I saw what he was seeing. Were heading right for a New England town that was covered in snow. Well, not anymore. We were so hot that most of the snow was melting. Trees and rooftops were catching fire.

Bianca screamed. As quick as I could, I stood up and wrenched Thalia out of her seat, shoving her into the aisle. I grabbed the wheel and pulled up as hard as I could. We zoomed up so quick I felt weightless for a second, then it all settled back down. I took a seat and began to slow us down, hoping I was doing it right.

"There!" Apollo pointed. "Long Island, dead ahead." He smiled. "Nice job, kid."

"Take this," I said, motioning for him to replace me. He did, and I took a seat behind Thalia, who was breathing shakily, her eyes far away. "Oh, I know, I'll just let an inexperienced girl without even a learner's permit drive the _sun_ chariot. You know, the literal manifestation of the sun itself. Boy, however did I get so smart?"

"If you could keep the sarcasm to a minimum, that'd be great," Apollo said.

"If you could keep the near-deadly crashes to a minimum, that'd be great," I said back. "I'd like to live long enough to see my sixteenth birthday." There was a chorus of agreements from the passengers around me.

A few hundred years away, and there was Camp Half-Blood: the valley, the woods, the beach, the dining pavilion and cabins and the amphitheater.

Apollo set us down on the beach, and said, "All right! All ashore that's going ashore."

"Not even on a ship," I muttered as I stepped out, grateful to be on the ground again.

As always, Camp Half-Blood was beautiful in the winter—snow had been allowed to fall lightly. Frost covered the chariot track and the strawberry fields. The cabins were decorated with tiny flickering lights. More lights flowed in the woods, and a fire flickered in the attic window of the Big House, where the Oracle dwelt, imprisoned in an old mummified body. I was always curious about that. Did decades-old corpses get cold?

"Whoa," Nico said as he climbed off the bus. "Is that a climbing wall?"

"Yeah," Percy said.

"Why is there lava pouring down it?"

"Little extra challenge. Come on. I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoe, have you met—"

"I know Chiron," Zoe said stiffly. "Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me."

"I'll show you the way," Grover offered.

"We know the way."

"Oh, really, it's no trouble. It's easy to get lost here, if you don't"—he tripped over a canoe and came up still talking—"like my old daddy goat used to say! Come on!"

Zoe rolled her eyes, but I guess she figured there was no getting rid of Grover. The Hunters shouldered their packs and their bows and headed off toward the cabins. Bianca hung back with her brother, looking around nervously. I put a hand on her shoulder. "It's a little overwhelming at first, I know, but you'll love it here. Trust me."

She seemed to relax a little, giving a nod. "I'm not afraid."

"Take care, sweethearts!" Apollo called after the Hunters. He winked at Percy. "Watch out for those prophecies, Percy. I'll see you soon."

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, he hopped back in the bus. "Later, Thalia," he called. "And, uh, be good!" He gave me a nod. "See you around, kid." Then he closed the doors and revved the engine. I turned aside as the sun chariot took off in a blast of heat. When I looked back, the lake was steaming. A red Maserati soared over the woods, glowing brighter and climbing higher until it disappeared in a ray of sunlight. _Always was a showoff._

"Who's Chiron?" Nico asked. "I don't have his figurine."

"Our activities director," Percy said. "He's…well, you'll see. Come on."

"You guys go on ahead," I said. "I need to take care of some stuff."

"You sure?" Thalia asked. I nodded. "See you at dinner, then?"

"Definitely."

Once they were gone, I said, "You can come out now."

Winter, my wolf, emerged from the trees, holding a green ball in her mouth. I knelt down and gaze her a nuzzle. "Good to see you, girl."

"She knew you were back almost immediately," came another voice. A brown-haired girl and boy were standing by the trees, the girl wearing a smile, the boy a frown. "Her ears perked up and everything."

"That right?" I scratched her chin. "You always were a smart one." She dropped the ball at my feet and whimpered up at me, expectant. I picked up the ball and threw it. Winter took off after it almost immediately.

"So," Mel asked, walking over to me, "what happened?"

"We got the kids," I said. "But…Annabeth's gone."

They blinked. "You mean she's—"

"Not dead," I said. "Missing. One of Luke's monsters got her. Oh, and the Hunters are here too."

Jay scowled. "Wonderful."

"Wait, is Daphne with them?"

"Yeah," I said. "Though I'd let her settle in before you go see her." Winter had come back, and I threw the ball again. She ran after it. "The two kids we brought here, Bianca and Nico di Angelo—I want you to keep an eye on them."

"Why?" Jay asked.

"I dunno. There's something…off about them. Just trust me on this." If they had been in the Lotus Hotel, there was no telling how old they were, and if they were as powerful as Grover claimed, they likely weren't there by accident.

"So what do you want us to do?" Mel asked.

"Befriend them, get them to open up. They're gonna be pretty anxious about being here, so help calm 'em down. I'm talking more to you, Mel. You"—I gestured at Jay—"aren't exactly the best at 'warm and cozy'."

"Was that supposed to be clever?" Mel asked, smirking. Her mom was Hestia, goddess of the hearth, so she was all about being pleasant. Jay…was not.

"No," I said. Winter came over and nuzzled my hand. I gave her ears a pat. "I'm gonna take Winter here into the woods, let her get a little exercise. See you later?"

"Yeah." Mel pointed. "We'll be at the arena in case you want to come find us."

I nodded. "Got it." Once they were gone, I turned to Winter. "You ready?" She yelped excitedly. "Lead the way, then!"

Together, we bounded into the woods, just like we used to when we were younger.

* * *

* Apollo used to take Hunter on joyrides when he had time to spare. (With Leto's close supervision, of course.)

A/N: All right everyone, please leave a review telling me what you thought of the chapter. Feel free to ask questions as well, and I'll do my best to answer you next chapter. Until then, I will see you all next time.

Bye!


	28. Chapter 28

The Sorrowful Deity: Does [Bianca] have similar powers as [Nico] or a bit more to Hazel's side?

Since Bianca is Hades' kid, I see her as being more like Nico than Hazel, due to Pluto's added aspect of being the god of riches, which is something Hades is not—not to mention that most of Hazel's natural powers come from her curse, which Bianca obviously lacks. Given a little time, Bianca will likely become a more powerful version of her brother.

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Prophecy Is Given**

As always during the winter months, only a handful of campers were sitting at the Hermes table. Nico was sitting next to his sister, talking excitedly with Mel. The Stoll brothers kept trying to butt in and teach the kid about Poker, but Jay and Mel stopped them every time. Bianca sat across from me, eating what looked like a vegetable plate.

I took a sip from my glass of water, swallowed, and said, "How are you liking camp so far?"

She shrugged and said, "It looks pretty cool. I'm…still a little unsure…" She looked at the Artemis table. The Hunters were drinking and eating and laughing like one big happy family. Zoe sat at the head like she was the leader. She didn't laugh as much as the others, but she did smile from time to time. Her silver lieutenant's band glittered in the dark braids of her hair.

"You made the right choice," I said.

"You think so?"

"Absolutely." I cut a piece of meat on my plate and ate it. "Trust me, camp is _way_ better than the Hunters. Tell you what, I'll even teach you proper archery."

Suddenly her eyes lit up. "That was you!"

I nodded. "Yep."

"What was him?" Connor asked.

"We met a while ago, back during the quest for Lord Zeus's Master Bolt."

"Quest?" Nico cut in. "What's a quest?"

By the time I was finished explaining everything to him, we'd finished eating, and Chiron made the customary toast to the gods and formally welcomed the Hunters of Artemis to camp. The clapping was pretty halfhearted. Then he announced the "good will" capture-the-flag game for tomorrow night, which got a lot better reception.

After that we were sent to bed. Since nobody was around, we all got our own beds instead of a space on the floor, which I was happy about. I took the top bunk, Jay got the bottom; Mel and Bianca bunked together; same with the Stolls; Nico got his own bunk, which he was pretty thrilled about. We spent another hour or so talking, until we got an angry knock from Chiron telling us to go to sleep.

-o-

In my dream, the crow came for me.

It had started as a wolf dream, where I was in Winter's skin, running through the forest. I'd had many similar dreams, and they had only gotten clearer as I began to understand my powers. Then a bird cawed above me, and I was standing—back in my body—at the edge of a cliff. On my shoulder was perched the ugliest crow I had ever seen in my life, all mangy black feathers and beady black eyes.

"Who—?"

 _Quiet,_ came the woman's voice from the crow's beak. _Watch._

I turned. Artemis was standing just out of arm's reach, her back to the cliffside, silver bow drawn and notched.

Out of sight, shrouded in shadows, a booming laughter echoed. "About time, little Olympian."

"General," she snarled. "How have you escaped?"

"Helpful friends," came the voice. "You'll be meeting them shortly." From the shadows, he emerged.

Dark slicked-back hair, grey eyes like stone, light brown skin, and enough muscle to give Heracles a run for his money. The man was tall, standing almost taller than a tree, and extremely muscular, with a brutal face, huge shoulders, and hands that could level mountains. In one hand was a spear.

Artemis fired one arrow, then another, then another, each deflected by the Titan's—he had to be a Titan—spear. Then the General moved, and Artemis just narrowly avoided being impaled. Knives flashing, Artemis cut and jabbed, moving quickly, sliding right and left, not unlike how I fought.

But it wasn't enough.

The Titan would get a lucky cut in, at the leg, the arm, the knee, until Artemis was covered in battle scars. And for as much damage as she was doing, it didn't seem that the General felt any of it. He was laughing too, a deep-throated cry that could chill an iceberg.

The went round and round, until Artemis faltered, the Titan knocked her blades away, seized her by the neck, and slammed her into the ground hard. He held her down and reached into the pocket of his suit, pulling out a pair of bronze shackles, which he forced onto Artemis at the hands and knees, then hauled her to her feet.

"Where are you taking me?" she demanded.

The Titan laughed. "You'll see soon enough." Then he dragged her away.

"Who was that?" I asked the crow.

 _You will know soon enough. Your part to play in this is fast approaching. But for now..._ It tapped me with its beak. _Rise._

-o-

I woke sweating. _Your part to play in this is fast approaching._ Was Niobe involved? Orion? _How could a goddess—an Olympian—be taken captive?_ Would the moon still rise every night, or would the nights be dark and full of terrors, with no Huntress to keep them at bay? Everyone else was gone; already out and about, most like. I rolled out of bed and got dressed, but not before taking a look at the mark on my arm—two circles, one larger than the other, cut by six long lines. The crow was connected to that brown-haired boy with the stag, and the woman trapped in the tree. I just knew it. _What do they have to do with Artemis?_

A knot of fear coiled like a snake in my gut. Artemis…Artemis was gone. Taken. Despite our open hostility, even I knew that Artemis was necessary; a part of the balance of the universe. With that part gone, what would happen on Olympus? Would someone take her place? Who? Do god's have successors, heirs? It seemed ridiculous. Gods were immortal, eternal, what use could they have with heirs? But Apollo had told me that he named his son Asclepius, god of medicine, as his heir. Did Artemis have one? Probably Zoe.

And that was precisely who I bumped into as I was headed to the woods—I needed to see Winter, to leave my body and clear my head. I was so distracted I didn't even see her until we collided with one another.

She scowled. "Watch thyself, boy."

"Bugger off," I said back.

She was turning to leave when I pushed aside my pride and said, "Artemis is gone."

She whirled on me. "What did you say?"

"I…had a dream. Artemis was taken by someone."

She advanced on me. "What did you see?"

Ordinarily I would have taken a step back, but I refused to be cowed by this fool. Instead, I took a step closer, so we were almost nose-to-nose. "I had a dream. Artemis is gone. Taken. I don't know where to."

"Anything else? Did thou see who took her?"

I glanced around. "I'll explain everything, but not here." Even though there were only a handful of people around us, our closeness was drawing stares. Best not to give any false impressions. "Follow me."

I took a few steps, but she made no move to follow. I stopped, turned, rolled my eyes. "I'm not going to try anything, promise. Just…" I swallowed. "Trust me on this. Please."

Something, perhaps her honor or duty to Artemis, made her nod. "Fine. Lead the way."

I took her down to the beach, then followed the waves a few dozen feet before stopping. We stood about five feet apart, her dressed in a silver jacket, myself dressed in a black one. We both had dark hair, but that was about it. _In another life, maybe you could have been my friend. My sister._ I pushed that thought away. No need to dwell on what could not be.

"Why bring me out this far?"

"I couldn't risk anybody snooping on us. The trees have eyes, even here."

"What did you see?" she asked.

I told her, leaving the crow out. When I was done, she was quiet for a long time, then she said, "I had the same dream."

"Did you know who that man was? That 'General'?"

"No," she answered, but a moment too late.

"Are you sure? You reacted like you knew him when the manticore—"

"I have not heard the name," she snapped, "only the title."

"But if you know something—"

"I do not know who is responsible," she said fiercely. "And even if I did, it would be of no concern to you. Do not pretend to care about Lady Artemis, boy. All you seek is to cause my lady pain."

I scowled. "I care about being left alone. 'We will never speak to each other again,' those were the words I said to Artemis the day you saved us from Lycaon. I was fine our paths would never cross again, but the Fates seem to have it in for me, so I keep winding up facing her."

She grit her teeth. "Then we have nothing more to say to each other." She turned and stormed off, cursing under her breath.

-o-

After dinner we got ready for capture the flag. Only a dozen on each team, but that didn't mean we weren't going to give it our all. Across the dining pavilion, Zoe kept glancing resentfully at Chiron, like she couldn't believe he was making her do this. The other Hunters didn't look too happy, either. Unlike last night, they weren't laughing or joking around. They just huddled together in the dining pavilion, whispering nervously to each other as they strapped on their armor. Some of them even looked like they'd been crying. _Cowards,_ I thought.

On our team, we had Beckendorf and two other Hephaestus guys, a few from the Ares cabin, the Stoll brothers, Melony, Jay, and Nico from Hermes cabin, and a few Aphrodite kids. Even though I was surprised to see them participating, it was still good to have the Aphrodite cabin be involved in a game for once, since they usually stuck to the sidelines. I guess the whole Artemis vs. Aphrodite thing went deep.

"I'll show them 'love is worthless,'" Silena Beauregard grumbled as she strapped on her armor. "I'll pulverize them!"

"Love the attitude," I said as I walked past her, over to Percy and Thalia.

"I'll take the offense," Thalia volunteered. "You take defense."

"Oh." He hesitated, looking sheepish. "Don't you think with your shield and all, you'd be better defense?"

Thalia already had Aegis on her arm, and even our own teammates were giving her a wide berth, trying not to cower before the bronze head of Medusa.

"Well, I was thinking it would make better offense," Thalia said. "Besides, you've had more practice at defense."

"Yeah, no problem," he lied. His first year, he'd been set up as bait by Annabeth and nearly mauled by a hellhound Luke had let in.

"Cool." Thalia turned to help some of the Aphrodite kids, who were having trouble suiting up their armor without breaking their nails. Nico di Angelo ran up to Percy with a big grin on his face.

"Percy, this is awesome!" His blue-feathered bronze helmet was falling in his eyes, and his breastplate was about six sizes too big. I laughed and pulled his helmet back.

Jay and Mel were helping Bianca with her armor, and I gave her a confident smile. She gave one back, turning so Jay could do the straps at her side.

Nico lifted his sword with effort. "Do we get to kill the other team?"

"Well…no," Percy explained.

"But the Hunters are immortal, right?"

"That's only if they don't fall in battle. Besides—"

"It would be awesome if we just, like, resurrected as soon as we were killed, so we could keep fighting, and—"

"Nico, this is serious. Real swords. These can hurt."

The kid looked pretty dejected, but I put a hand around his shoulders and said, "He's right, Nico. But don't worry, give it a few months, and I'm sure you'll be a master at the game. But for now, try not to get too involved. Stick with your sister, she'll look after you."

Percy agreed. "Just follow the team. Stay out of Zoe's way. We'll have a blast."

Chiron's hoof thundered on the pavilion floor.

"Heroes!" he called. "You know the rules! The creek is the boundary line. Blue team—Camp Half-Blood—shall take the west woods. Hunters of Artemis—red team—shall take the east woods. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. No intentional maiming, please! All magic items are allowed. To your positions!"

Thalia said, "Blue team! Follow me!"

We cheered and followed. I fell behind to where Mel and Jay were. Bianca was with them, but she left quickly to catch up to her brother.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"She's a sweet girl," Mel said. "But there's something off about her. I don't know. I'll need to consult the flames."

Melony could see visions in fire, though they weren't always accurate. She got it from her mother Hestia, who got the gift of prophecy from Apollo in an attempt to win her favor.* Still, anything that could help us figure out the di Angelos' secret. I thought about telling them about my dream, but decided against it until the game was over. No need for any unnecessary distractions.

We set our flag at the top of Zeus's Fist, a cluster of boulders in the middle of the west woods that, if looked at just the right way, looks like a huge fist sticking out of the ground. It was a good place to set the flag. The top boulder was twenty feet tall and really hard to climb, so the flag was clearly visible, like the rules said it had to be, and it didn't matter that the guards weren't allowed to stand within ten yards of it.

Bianca and Nico were put on guard duty with Beckendorf and the Stoll brothers, figuring they'd be safely out of the way.

"We'll send out a decoy to the left," Thalia told the team. "Silena, you lead that."

"Got it!"

"Take Laurel and Jason. They're good runners. Make a wide arc around the Hunters, attract as many as you can. I'll take the main raiding party around to the right and catch them by surprise."

Everybody nodded. It sounded good, and Thalia said it with such confidence you couldn't help but believe it would work.

Thalia looked at Percy. "Anything to add, Percy?"

"Um, yeah. Keep sharp on defense. We've got four guards, two scouts. That's not much for a big forest. I'll be roving. Yell if you need help."

"And don't leave your post!" Thalia said.

"Unless you see a golden opportunity."

Thalia scowled. "Just don't leave your post."

"Right, unless—"

"Percy!" She touched his arm and shocked him. When Thalia shocks you, it hurts, since her dad's Zeus. As it was, Percy tensed, like he'd been punched in the back of the head. He opened his mouth, but I stepped in between them

"I have a suggestion."

Thalia looked me over. "And that would be…?"

"That you le me try and take the flag."

She furrowed her brow. "But—"

"Hear me out. You all can still take your team and try and get the flag, but instead you'll be serving primarily as a decoy. I can sneak ahead, grab their flag while you distract them, and make a beeline for our side. Think about it—I'm faster than all of you, and I can sneak through the trees, so there's no way they'll see me unless they're also in the trees."

"That could work," Beckendorf said. "I mean, we've all seen what he can do, so why not?"

"Yeah," Travis offered. "Give him a shot."

Thalia nodded. "All right. Let's do it. That good with you, Percy?"

He still looked a little miffed about the shocking thing, but he nodded and said, "Sure."

"Good. Everyone know what they're doing?"

Everybody nodded. We broke into our smaller groups. The horn sounded, and the game began. Silena's group disappeared into the woods on the left. Thalia's group gave it a few seconds, then darted off toward the right.

I waited a few seconds after that, then I climbed into a tree and started moving, using the branches as beams to move unseen across the forest. Below me, I saw Selina and Jay lead their group away from Thalia, a group of Hunters on their heels. I saw another group of Hunters run to where Thalia was supposed to be; apparently they'd been seen. I hoped Zoe was with them—it'd be nice to see her get her eyebrows zapped off. Still, I kept moving, running through the enemy territory, unseen.

I turned in an arc, intent on hitting the Hunter's flag from behind. There was only one guard, a little girl with dark hair—Daphne.

I jumped down, snatched the flag out of the tree, and ran past before Daphne could realize what was happening. "Sorry, kid!"

I ran a few feet, then used a pile of rocks as a stool to get back into another tree. By then Daphne had called out, asking for help. An arrow whizzed by my head, then another by my feet. I avoided them both and kept running. I was just about to cross the creek when I heard screaming. Nico, Bianca, and Percy were chasing Zoe, who held our flag in both hands.

I ran as fast as I could, then dropped down just at the border between teams, and slammed into Zoe as hard as I could, catching her neck on my arm. She flipped and landed on her back, hard.

My team cheered as they converged on me, pulling me onto their shoulders as I held the flag up high.

"The campers win!" Chiron cried, looking happier than I'd ever seen him. Below me, Zoe was holding her neck, looking murderous. I smirked down at her, victorious…

…until my smile melted. "What in Hades?"

Something was approaching. It was shrouded in a murky green mist, but as it got closer, the campers and Hunters gasped. I slid from their shoulders, entranced

"This is impossible," Chiron said. I'd never heard him sound so nervous. "It…she has never left the attic. Never."

And yet, the withered mummy that held the Oracle shuffled forward until she stood in the center of the group. Mist curled around our feet, turning the snow a sickly shade of green.

Nobody dared move. Then a voice hissed inside my head. Everyone could hear it, because several clutched their hands over the ears.

 _I am the spirit of Delphi_ , the voice said. _Speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python._ The Oracle regarded me with its cold, dead eyes. Then she turned unmistakably toward Zoe Nightshade. _Approach, Seeker, and ask_.

Zoe swallowed. "What must I do to help my goddess?"

The Oracle's mouth opened, and green mist poured out. I saw the vague image of a mountain, and Artemis standing at the barren peak. She was wrapped in chains, fettered to the rocks. She was kneeling, her hands raised as if to fend off an attacker, and it looked like she was in pain.

The Oracle spoke:

 _Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,_

 _One shall be lost in the land without rain,_

 _The bane of Olympus shows the trail,_

 _Campers and Hunters combined prevail,_

 _The Titan's curse must one withstand,_

 _And one shall perish by a parent's hand_.

Then, as we were watching, the mist swirled and retreated like a great green serpent into the mummy's mouth. The Oracle sat down on a rock and became as still as she'd been in the attic, as if she might sit by this creek for a hundred years.

 _Parent's hand,_ I thought, the words repeating in my head. _It's not possible._ I felt a rock form in my gut, and my throat kept clenching and unclenching, like I was going to throw up. _Your part to play in this is fast approaching._ I felt pale and sick.

"Hunter," Mel whispered, putting a hand on my arm. Next to me, Jay put a hand on my shoulder, as though to steady me.

Then everyone gasped a second time. All across the creek, campers and Hunters alike took steps back. Mel looked at something above me. "It…you…"

"Impossible," I heard someone mutter.

I looked up, heart in my stomach. Floating above me was a wispy stag, symbol of the goddess Artemis. _No…_

Chiron stepped forward, looking far older than he should have. "It is determined. Artemis, the Huntress, Lady of the Hunt, Protector of the Young and Innocent, Mistress of the Wild. All hail Hunter, child of Artemis." He knelt, and everyone did the same, even Zoe Nightshade and her Hunters. _Your part to play in this is fast approaching._

It had happened. I had been claimed.

Then I doubled over and vomited into the creek.

* * *

* Apollo and Poseidon initially wished to marry Hestia, back before she took her vow of maidenhood. Hestia's never shown the gift of prophecy in any of the myths (at least none that I've found), but I thought it would be a nice little add-on to Mel's powers.

A/N: Please leave a review telling me what you thought. Don't be afraid to ask questions, either; I promise I'll do my best to answer them in the next chapter. Follow and favorite to show support. I'll see you guys next time.

Bye!


	29. Chapter 29

BirdFeather1837: One question I have is how old should Hunter be at this point?

Hunter is fifteen at this point in the story. His birthday is on the Winter Solstice, so he's a day older than Thalia.

Famond: -This is about the Chapter 27- I'm kinda disappointed Hunter didn't want Artemis to turn back the child she turned into a jackalope. Surely he would be against a person losing their entire human life by being turned into an animal and will most likely starve to death or be killed by a monster or another animal. This person could have lived a fulfilling life with a great future, and in just an instant they lost it all.

He did want her to; however, he didn't really think he'd be able to convince her to turn him back. Remember, Hunter believes Artemis hates him, or at the very least doesn't really care about him, so it'd be like a stranger walking up to her and trying to convince Artemis to turn the boy back into a person. Besides, for all we know, that incident happened years ago, and the kid's already dead.

JosephLeeCollins: Hmm, what if Zoë tries to not let him come?

You'll find out in this chapter.

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Quest Begins**

"Breathe, Hunter."

I tried. Really, I did, but I couldn't. It was like someone was pressing a weight against my chest, pushing harder and harder. I sucked in, and the room swayed. We were in the Big House, in the living room. I was sitting on one of the couches, Chiron in his wheelchair in front of me, Jason, Melony, and Thalia behind him.

"What's wrong with him?" Mel asked, looking panicked. Jay put a hand on her shoulder, and she seemed to relax a little.

"He's having a panic attack," Chiron explained. "It will pass, given time."

It didn't feel like it would pass. The room was starting to spin, I was sweating, and I couldn't breathe. Chiron had to carry me here on his back from the creek. I'd thrown up, then nearly passed out.

"I don't feel so—" I tried to say, but I couldn't get the words out. Thalia came over and started rubbing my back. Grover and Percy were taking the oracle's body back up to the attic, and the rest of the cabin counselors were downstairs.

"Hush," Chiron said. "Don't speak. Just breathe in, count to five, breathe out, count to five, and repeat."

I did. After a few minutes, the room stopped moving, and I didn't feel like I was going to throw up. I nodded. "I…I'm okay."

"Good." He handed me a glass. "Drink slowly."

I lifted it to my lips. It wasn't nectar, but water. I drank it all the same, taking tiny sips. When the glass was empty, I put it on a nearby coffee table and stood up. "I'm fine. Thank you."

"Thank gods," Mel said, putting an arm around me. Jay gave Chiron a nod in thanks.

"Thalia, would you please go get Percy and Grover?" Chiron asked. "Bring them downstairs."

"Sure," she said, and went.

"If you'll excuse me, I must—"

"Chiron?" I interrupted. "Can I join you?"

He blinked. "Councils are normally only for counselors and camp staff, I'm afraid—"

"Please? I just…feel like I need to be there. Plus, now that I've been claimed, aren't I technically Cabin Eight's counselor, since the Hunters don't stay full-time?"

He thought about it, then said, "I suppose you are. Very well. Come with me."

"Sorry," I said to Jay and Mel quietly.

"Don't worry about it," Mel said. "We understand. Come find us when you're finished."

"I will." She gave me a quick hug, and Jay gave me a nod before they both went out the door.

Thalia came down the stairs, Percy and Grover just behind her. "Hunter will be joining us," Chiron explained.

"Awesome," Thalia said. "It'll be good to have you."

"I'm sure," I said, following Chiron down the stairs.

-o-

The council was held around a Ping-Pong table in the rec room. As I entered, everyone stared. _They know who I am._ I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. Would they think differently of me now? Percy had been shunned when he was claimed. Would that happen to me?

Mr. D and Chiron sat at one end of the table. Zoe and took the other end. Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers sat on the left. Percy, Thalia and I went to the right side. As I passed them, Silena slipped me a pack of mint gum. Beckendorf gave me a warm smile, and the Stolls clapped my back. Their kindness quelled my fear. I mouthed "Thank you" gratefully and slipped three pieces of gum into my mouth, to wash out the taste of vomit.

Zoe was watching me curiously, eyes narrowed. I was in no mood to get confrontational, so I ignored her.

Dionysus supplied snacks: Cheez Whiz, crackers, and several bottles of red wine. Then Chiron reminded him that wine was against his restrictions and most of us were underage. Mr. D sighed. With a snap of his fingers the wine turned to Diet Coke. Nobody drank that either.

"This is pointless," Zoe snapped, crossing her arms.

"Cheez Whiz!" Grover gasped. He began scooping up crackers and Ping-Pong balls and spraying them with topping.

"There is no time for talk," Zoe continued. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

"West," I said. "'Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,' the oracle said. Five quest members."

Zoe agreed. "Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her."

"You're missing something, as usual," Thalia said. "Campers and Hunters combined prevail. We're supposed to do this together."

"No!" Zoe said. "The Hunters do not need thy help."

"Your," Thalia grumbled. "Nobody has said thy in, like, three hundred years, Zoe. Get with the times."

Zoe hesitated, like she was trying to form the word correctly."Yerrr. We do not need yerrr help."

 _Oh, gods above._ Thalia rolled her eyes. "Forget it."

"I fear the prophecy says you do need our help," Chiron said. "Campers and Hunters must cooperate."

"Or do they?" Mr. D mused, swirling his Diet Coke under his nose like it was wine. "One shall be lost. One shall perish. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail because you try to cooperate?"

"Mr. D," Chiron sighed, "with all due respect, whose side are you on?"

Dionysus raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, my dear centaur. Just trying to be helpful."

"We're supposed to work together," Thalia said stubbornly. "I don't like it either, Zoe, but you know prophecies. You want to fight against one?"

Zoe grimaced, but I could tell Thalia had a point.

"We must not delay," Chiron warned. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the winter solstice." _My birthday,_ I thought.

"Oh, joy," Dionysus muttered. "Another dull annual meeting."

"Artemis must be present at the solstice," Zoe said. "She has been one of the most vocal on the council arguing for action against Kronos's minions. If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing. We will lose another year of war preparations."

"Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together, young lady?" Dionysus asked.

"Yes, Lord Dionysus."

Mr. D nodded. "Just checking. You're right, of course. Carry on."

"I must agree with Zoe," said Chiron. "Artemis's presence at the winter council is critical. We have only a week to find her. And possibly even more important: to locate the monster she was hunting. Now, we must decide who goes on this quest."

"Three and two," Percy said.

Everybody looked at him. "We're supposed to have five. Three Hunters, two from Camp Half-Blood. That's more than fair."

Thalia and Zoe exchanged looks. I agreed. I would have preferred to have only Zoe go, since more Hunters likely meant more trouble for me, but I was willing to compromise. That meant it would be Zoe, two other Hunters, myself, and a Camp Half-Blood camper. Which one, though? Percy or Thalia would be more than enough.

"Well," Thalia said. "It does make sense."

Zoe grunted. "I would prefer to take all the Hunters. We will need strength of numbers."

"You'll be retracing the goddess's path," Chiron reminded her. "Moving quickly. No doubt Artemis tracked the scent of this rare monster, whatever it is, as she moved west. You will have to do the same. The prophecy was clear: The bane of Olympus shows the trail. What would your mistress say? 'Too many Hunters spoil the scent.' A small group is best."

Zoe picked up a Ping-Pong paddle and studied it. "This monster—the bane of Olympus. I have hunted at Lady Artemis's side for many years, yet I have no idea what this beast might be."

Everybody looked at Dionysus. He was flipping through a wine magazine, but when everyone got silent he glanced up. "Well, don't look at me. I'm a _young_ god, remember? I don't keep track of all those ancient monsters and dusty titans. They make for _terrible_ party conversation."

"Chiron," Percy said, "you don't have any ideas about the monster?"

Chiron pursed his lips. "I have several ideas, none of them good. And none of them quite make sense. Typhon, for instance, could fit this description. He was truly a bane of Olympus. Or the sea monster Keto. But if either of these were stirring, we would know it. They are ocean monsters the size of skyscrapers. Your father, Poseidon, would already have sounded the alarm. I fear this monster may be more elusive. Perhaps even more powerful."

"That's some serious danger you're facing," Connor Stoll said. "It sounds like at least two of the five are going to die."

"One shall be lost in the land without rain" Beckendorf said. "If I were you, I'd stay out of the desert."

There was a muttering of agreement.

"And the Titan's curse must one withstand," Silena said. "What could that mean?"

I saw Chiron and Zoe exchange a nervous look, but whatever they were thinking, they didn't share it.

"One shall perish by a parent's hand," Grover said in between bites of Cheez Whiz and Ping-Pong balls. "How is that possible? Whose parent would kill them?"

There was heavy silence around the table. Thalia and Percy exchanged a glance, but everyone else's eyes were on me. I felt a rush of bile rising in my throat, so I slipped more gum into my mouth in an attempt to get my mind off of it. _Your part to play in this is fast approaching_ , the crow had said.

"There will be deaths," Chiron decided. "That much we know."

"Oh, goody!" Dionysus said.

Everyone looked at him. He glanced up innocently from the pages of _Wine Connoisseur_ magazine. "Ah, pinot noir is making a comeback. Don't mind me."

"Percy is right," Silena Beauregard said. "Two campers should go."

"Oh, I see," Zoe said sarcastically. "And I suppose you wish to volunteer?"

Silena blushed. "I'm not going anywhere with the Hunters. Don't look at me!"

"A daughter of Aphrodite does not wish to be looked at," Zoe scoffed. "What would thy mother say?"

Silena started to get out of her chair, but the Stoll brothers pulled her back.

"Stop it," Beckendorf said. He was a big guy with a bigger voice. He didn't talk much, but when he did, people tended to listen. "Let's start with the Hunters. Which three of you will go?"

Zoe stood. "I shall go, of course, and I will take Phoebe. She is our best tracker."

"The big girl who likes to hit people on the head?" Travis Stoll asked cautiously.

Zoe nodded.

"The one who put the arrows in my helmet?" Connor added.

"Yes," Zoe snapped. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Travis said. "Just that we have a T-shirt for her from the camp store." He held up a big silver T-shirt that said ARTEMIS THE MOON GODDESS, FALL HUNTING TOUR 2002, with a huge list of national parks and stuff underneath. "It's a collector's item. She was admiring it. You want to give it to her?"

I narrowed my eyes. The Stolls were up to something. They always were. But Zoe didn't know that. She just sighed and took the T-shirt. "As I was saying, I will take Phoebe." She frowned. "I will need to think on who else."

"And for campers?" Chiron asked.

"Me!" Grover stood up so fast he bumped the Ping-Pong table. He brushed cracker crumbs and Ping-Pong ball scraps off his lap. "Anything to help Artemis!"

Zoe wrinkled her nose. "I think not, satyr. You are not even a half-blood."

"But he _is_ a camper," Thalia said. "And he's got a satyr's senses and woodland magic. Can you play a tracker's song yet, Grover?"

"Absolutely!"

Zoe wavered. "Very well," she said. "And the second camper?"

"I'll go." Thalia stood and looked around, daring anyone to question her.

"I'm going too," I said.

"I think not," Zoe snapped out. "We already have two campers, we do not need a third."

"I have to go on this quest, Zoe. Lady Artemis—"

"Since when does thee care about Lady Artemis? You have spent your life insulting and disparaging her."

"I don't care about Artemis, but she's necessary. Without her, the Titans and Luke gain another year of preparations while Olympus twiddles its thumbs. Besides, Artemis has claimed me. Don't tell me the timing isn't a coincidence. I _need_ to go on this quest."

"But the third Hunter—"

"Is me."

Her eyes blazed. "You are _no_ Hunter."

"Well, he kind of is," Silena said.

Zoe whirled on her. "What?"

"His name is Hunter, and his mother is Artemis, so he's Hunter son of Artemis. A literal Hunter of Artemis. Kind of." That was a longshot, I know, but I just hoped Zoe would take it.

She glared at everyone around the table, closed her eyes, sighed, and said, "Fine," through gritted teeth. "You may accompany us."

"Whoa, wait a sec," Percy said. "I want to go too."

Thalia said nothing. Chiron was looking at him, eyes sad.

"Oh," Grover said, suddenly aware of the problem. "Whoa, yeah, I forgot! Percy has to go. I didn't mean… I'll stay. Percy should go in my place."

"He cannot," Zoe said. "He is a boy. I won't have Hunters traveling with a boy."

"You traveled here with me," he reminded her, "and Hunter's going."

"That was a short-term emergency, and it was ordered by the goddess. And your friend—as much as I may not like it—is needed. He was right, Artemis would not have claimed him now if he was not essential. But you are not necessary."

"What about Grover?" he demanded.

Zoe shook her head. "He does not count. He's a satyr. He is not technically a boy."

"Hey!" Grover protested.

"I have to go. I need to be on this quest."

"Why?" Zoe asked. "Because of thy friend Annabeth?"

He blushed. "No! I mean, partl. I just feel like I'm supposed to go!"

"No," I said.

He gaped at me. " _No?_ "

"No," I said again. "Thalia will be more than enough for this task. You will remain here in case anything goes wrong." I put a hand on his shoulder. "I will bring Annabeth back to you, my friend, I promise."

"But—"

"You have already been on two quests; the latter one you were not even supposed to be on. Let other people play their parts, Percy. Give up your place in the spotlight, just this once."

"Well put," Zoe said. "I insist upon this. I will take the satyr and my lady's child if I must, but not you."

Chiron sighed. "The quest is for Artemis. The Hunters should be allowed to approve their companions."

Percy sat down, dejected. I turned back to Chiron. Whatever was going on between Percy and Thalia could provide unnecessary risks. It was best that he stayed.

"So be it," Chiron said. "Thalia, Hunter and Grover will accompany Zoe and Phoebe. You shall leave at first light. And may the gods"—he glanced at Dionysus—"present company included, we hope—be with you."

-o-

I couldn't stay in Cabin Eleven anymore. Artemis had claimed me, so I was being moved to Cabin Eight, with all the Hunters. When Chiron explained that to Zoe and me, we had both complained and argued otherwise, but he was insistent.

"It's only for one night," he'd said. "Then you'll be gone."

After nearly half an hour, Zoe had given up and said that she would prepare a bunk for me. Chiron escorted me back to the Hermes cabin, where I quickly gathered up my things. After a solemn goodbye to all my cabinmates, I left Cabin Elven for the last time, and made my way to Cabin Eight.

My new home looked nice—a silver cabin carved with images of animals and hunters, with a stag symbol on the front door. A roofed porch held two lawn chairs, and the windows were obscured by silver curtains. As I drew closer, one of them moved. _Guess they know I'm coming._

I walked up the steps, crossed the porch, and knocked. Some faint shuffling and mumbles came through the door before Zoe opened it, looking like I was a roach in need of a good squashing.

"I wouldn't be here unless I had to. You know that."

She sniffed. "Unfortunately, you're right."

I pointed with my chin. "Do they?"

She looked over her shoulder. "Yes. While they may not like it, they understand your camp's rules, and Lady Artemis's wishes."

"Great." _Least I don't have to worry about them causing trouble before the quest._ Zoe stepped aside and allowed me in. The cabin was fairly standard: wooden walls and floor, assorted hunting-related items on display, bunk beds lining the walls. And two dozen Hunters between the ages of eight and sixteen looking right at me. Despite everything, I felt nervous. _Relax. They won't hurt you, and you don't need to interact with them._

"Thy bed is over here," she said, leading me to it. "Daphne has volunteered to be your bunkmate."

I grinned down at the little girl. "Sweet. Just like old times, right?"

"Yeah!" she said. "But no werewolves or creepy guys trying to kill us this time."

I laughed. "I hope not."

"I already called top bunk."

I shrugged. "Fair enough." I put my bag on the bottom bunk and sat down. I raised an eyebrow. "Are you all going to keep staring, or…?" They went back to their business, though a few did keep stealing glances here and there. There was a drawer next to the bed, and I started filling the top half (Daphne was far to short to reach it) with my stuff. I had already packed my unmentionables and pants when I heard someone clear their throat. I turned.

A tall, brown-haired girl and a brown-skin girl were standing behind me. "Yes?" I asked, folding a pair of dark jeans and sliding it into the drawer.

"Hi," the brown-haired girl said. "I'm Sofia, and this is—"

"—Penelope," I said. "I remember."

"You do?" Penelope asked, looking surprised.

"Yes. You threw a spoon at my head."

"Oh." She shrugged. "Sorry," she said, not sounding sorry at all.

I rolled my eyes and went back to folding. "Can I help you with something, because I doubt you're here for small talk."

Penelope's eyes darkened, but Sofia just smiled. "Oh, no, we're just here to introduce ourselves. You know, put our best foot forward."

"That's…" _Stupid,_ I wanted to say, but decided to follow her lead and be nice. "…very kind of you. My name's Hunter."

"It's nice to meet you, Hunter. We've heard so much about you from Daphne."

I gave the little girl a quick glance. "Is that so? Good things, I hope."

"Mostly, though she _did_ say you snore a lot."

I gasped in mock offense. "I do _not._ "

"Yeah," Daphne said, "you do."

"Hmph. Well you toss and turn in your sleep. There was hardly a night when you didn't either kick or hit me awake."

"Not on purpose!" she said, giggling. Sofia was giggling too. Even Penelope had cracked a smile. _She and Jay would get along fine._

"You had a wolf last time we met, didn't you?" Sofia asked.

I nodded. "Winter. Her name's Winter."

"Is she here, or did you part ways?"

"She's still here. She lives out in the woods with a few of her kind. Some of the nymphs are scared of her."

"Would it be all right if we saw her?"

I blinked. "I don't…I mean, is that allowed? Zoe would—"

"Oh, Zoe wouldn't mind. Besides, Sarah has her own wolf."

"Who?"

She pointed to a Hunter across the cabin listening to a cassette player with headphones, head bobbing up and down to the music. There was something off about her.

"Is she…?"

"…blind?" Sofia asked. She nodded sadly. "Yes. She was born that way, irreversible, even for a goddess."

"Then how does she…?"

"We have enhanced senses, courtesy of Lady Artemis. Hers are just more in-tune, so she can hear or smell her targets. And she has a seeing-eye wolf named Tim. He's under her bed there."

Sure enough, there was a little grey wolf snuggled under the girl's bed.

"He makes sure she doesn't run into trees and fetches her things," Penelope said.

"Is he friendly?" I asked.

"Oh, he's a sweet little thing. Don't worry, your Winter will be more than safe."

"It's not her I'm worried about." Winter would tear the scamp apart if it came to blows. Didn't need to deal with that. "If you're sure Zoe will allow it, then I guess I can bring her here." I reached within myself and called to Winter.

"Aren't you going to call her?" Sofia asked.

"I already did," I said. "She'll be here soon." We spent the next few minutes making small talk, until a scratching at the door forced Zoe to open it. When she did, Winter came waltzing in, drawing gasps of surprise from some of the unsuspecting Hunters. The other Hunter's wolf pressed itself against the wall. I whistled. "Here, girl."

Winter hurried over, scrambling up onto my bed. "This is Winter," I said to the two Hunters, giving my girl a pat on the head. "Winter, this is Penelope and Sofia."

"Does she bite?"

"Not while I'm here. She'll love you for life is you pet her chest." When they did, Winter let out a mix between a coo and a gurgle, tail wagging.

"She's beautiful," Sofia said. Penelope nodded.

"I know," I said, giving her ears a scratch. She nipped my hand and swung it back and forth. After another few minutes, Zoe said that lights out would be in ten minutes. Penelope and Sofia said their farewells and left. I got changed into my pajamas. Normally I liked to sleep shirtless, but I doubted the Hunters would like that, so I decided to wear one of my summer shirts.

Phoebe came out of the bathroom wearing the shirt the Stoll twins had given her and a pair of athletic shorts. She looked uncomfortable.

"Are you okay?" a Hunter asked.

"Yeah," Phoebe said, sounding distracted. "Shirt's just a little itchy. Probably just need to get used to it."

Something wasn't right, but I didn't have time to dwell on that. I had to get up at the crack of dawn—actually, probably earlier than that, since we were leaving at dawn—and I wanted to get some sleep. Hopefully Zoe and Phoebe would wake me in case I overslept.

Winter snuggled up to me, and I closed my eyes.

-o-

The garden before me was beautiful. A thousand flowers of red, gold, amethyst, and a dozen other colors went on for what seemed like miles. A tall tree that shone golden stood in the distance, with what looked like a giant dragon coiled around its tree, like Peleus guarding our Fleece.

A crow landed on my shoulder. "You," I said, scowling. "Stupid bird."

 _Stupid bird, stupid stupid boy,_ it said back, pecking my neck. I swatted it away. It shrieked, offended, and took to the skies. _Come follow._

I had no choice but to follow it up the mountain, past the garden, where a storm was brewing, dark clouds circling.

I stopped when I reached the summit. Annabeth was kneeling under the weight of a dark mass that looked like a pile of boulders. She looked exhausted, almost a corpse. Her legs trembled. Any second, I knew she would run out of strength and the cavern ceiling would collapse on top of her.

"How is our mortal guest?" a male voice boomed. I recognized it—the voice of the Titan that had taken Artemis, the General.

Luke emerged from the shadows around the mountain. He ran to Annabeth, knelt beside her, then looked back at the unseen man. "She's fading. We must hurry."

I wanted to beat him until his head was a mess of brain and bone. He'd betrayed us, nearly killed Thalia and Percy, taken Annabeth. He deserved to die.

The deep voice chuckled. Then a familiar dark-haired girl stepped out of the shadows, holding Artemis by the hair, hands and feet bound in celestial bronze chains.

"Anna!"

She couldn't hear me, though. She looked almost unchanged, though her hair was a little longer, and she looked a little lither. And…beautiful? I shook my head. _No, she isn't beautiful. She tried to kill you. She needs to die._

Artemis's silvery hunting outfit was torn and tattered. Her face and arms were cut in several places, and she was bleeding ichor, the golden blood of the gods.

"You heard the boy," said the man in the shadows. "Decide!"

Artemis's eyes flashed with anger. She looked at Annabeth and her expression changed to concern and outrage. "How dare you torture a maiden like this! "

"She will die soon," Luke said. "You can save her."

Annabeth made a weak sound of protest. My fists clenched. I wanted to run to her, but I couldn't move.

"Free my hands," Artemis said.

Anna brought out her sword. With one expert strike, she broke the goddess's handcuffs. Artemis ran to Annabeth and took the burden from her shoulders. Annabeth collapsed on the ground and lay there shivering. Artemis staggered, trying to support the weight of the black rocks.

The man in the shadows chuckled. "You are as predictable as you were easy to beat, Artemis."

"You surprised me," the goddess said, straining under her burden. "It will not happen again."

"Indeed it will not," the man said. "Now you are out of the way for good! I knew you could not resist helping a young maiden. That is, after all, your specialty, my dear."

Artemis groaned "You know nothing of mercy, you swine."

"On that," the man said, "we can agree. Luke, you may kill the girl now."

"No!'" Artemis shouted.

Luke hesitated. "She—she may yet be useful, sir...Further bait." _You coward,_ I wanted to snarl.

"Bah! You truly believe that?"

"Yes, General. They will come for her. I'm sure."

The man considered. "Then the dracaenae can guard her here. Assuming she does not die from her injuries, you may keep her alive until winter solstice. After that, if our sacrifice goes as planned, her life will be meaningless. The lives of _all_ mortals will be meaningless."

Luke gathered up Annabeth's listless body and carried her away from the goddess.

"You will never find the monster you seek," Artemis said. "Your plan will fail."

"How little you know, my young goddess," the man in the shadows said. "Even now, your darling attendants begin their quest to find you. They shall play directly into my hands. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a long journey to make. We must greet your Hunters and make sure their quest is… challenging."

The man's laughter echoed in the darkness, shaking the ground until it seemed the whole mountain would crumble. When it was gone, only Anna and Artemis remained.

The daughter of Aphrodite studied the goddess. After a silence, she said, "Hunter's coming too."

Artemis gritted her teeth. "If you touch him, I'll—"

"Don't worry, I won't need to do anything of the sort. I can convince him to join our side."

The goddess snarled. "How could you do that?"

"Your son and I have always been close. I could talk him into it."

"If you think—"

"I don't _think_ anything, Lady Artemis. I _know_ he'll join us, I _know_ he's coming here, because I _know_ he hates you, and probably couldn't resist the urge to see you in pain." Anna turned. "I want you to see him join us, to turn his back on you forever. Then you'll know how he feels every day." She walked away, and my dream faded.

-o-

I opened my eyes. It was still dark out, but I was wide awake. Anna was with Luke and Artemis. She was waiting for me. I wasn't sure how to feel about that. I checked my shield watch. Dawn would be in another half an hour. Gently pushed Winter off me, grabbed my bag, and went to change. I put on my black boots, black pants, T-shirt, and black leather jacket. I quietly left the Artemis cabin, Winter close behind me.

I was surprised to see Melony and Jason already awake, sitting by the hearth. _Are they a little too close?_ I wondered, then realized I didn't really care. Mel was staring deeply into the fires, concentrating. Another figure was sitting with them; a small child with brown hair.

"What do you see?"

Mel and Jay jumped slightly, Hestia only turned and smiled. She had been helping Melony improve her flame-reading skills, and I was curious to see what could happen.

"My lady," I said to the goddess of the hearth. She offered me a soft smile and a nod. She was the eldest of her siblings, but she looked younger than even Daphne.

"Hello, Hunter." We had grown familiar with the goddess, but it still felt strange to be on speaking terms with an Olympian. "Go on, dear," Hestia urged her daughter.

"Um…" Mel bit her lip. "I see…a mechanical giant, taller than a building…uh, a dragon-headed ship sailing across the sea…and…the sky. It's falling."

I frowned. "Falling? How can the sky fall?"

"I don't know," she said miserably. She turned to her mother. "I'm trying, Mom, I really am."

Hestia gave a warm smile. "I believe you, dear. You are just unpracticed. I was much the same way when Apollo first gave me the gift of foresight. You will learn. You just need practice. Try again."

"Um, a storm? I don't know, maybe Zeus is angry or something."

"Seems to describe him pretty accurately," Jay muttered. He glanced at Hestia. "No offense."

"None taken, nephew. You are not exactly wrong, after all."

A giant? I know Titans are large, but not even Kronos could be taller than a building, right? And a dragon-headed ship? Could that be the _Princess Andromeda,_ Luke's cruise ship/mobile headquarters? Percy never mentioned a dragon figurehead. And the sky falling? How could the sky fall, unless something happened to Lord Zeus? I shuddered to think about it.

A hand closed around my shoulder. "It is time to leave."

I stood up. "Five minutes?"

"Three."

"Thank you."

I gave both of my friends a hug. "Come back to us safe," Mel whispered.

"I will. I promise." _Don't make promises you might not be able to keep,_ a voice whispered. I ignored it. "Watch over the di Angelos. Keep them safe. Make them feel welcome."

"Of course," Mel said. Jay nodded.

"And make sure you play with this one." I gestured to Winter. "Don't give her enough attention and she gets pouty and throws tantrums."

The wolf yipped, offended. I gave her chin a scratch. That calmed her down well enough.

"Will do."

I rejoined Zoe near the dining pavilion. "Where's Phoebe?"

"She is not coming."

I blinked. "What?"

Zoe's hands balled into fists. "Those Stoll brothers, they poisoned the collector's Artemis T-shirt they gave Phoebe."

That surprised me. The Stolls had committed some pretty intense pranks, but never _poison._ "Is…is she…"

"She will live," Zoe responded. "I took her to the infirmary several hours ago. She would not stop scratching They used centaur blood. It is like acid. She will be bedridden for weeks, covered in hives."

"So she can't come." I chewed the inside of my cheek. "Maybe this is the line from the prophecy. 'One shall be lost in the land without rain.' Rain isn't allowed in here, so it could fit."

"Perhaps." She didn't sound convinced.

"Are you going to choose another Hunter?"

"No. I do not want to risk it. We must make do with four."

 _The quest hasn't even begun and we've already lost someone._ I kept that particular thought to myself, though no doubt Zoe was thinking something similar.

Just then I felt something. I turned. There was nobody around, but I still felt a presence. "What is it?" Zoe asked.

I shook my head. "Nothing. We should hurry. They'll be leaving soon."

"Agreed." We sprinted to the Big House, where Thalia, Chiron, Argus, and Grover were waiting for us. We explained what happened to Phoebe, and while Chiron didn't like it, we had no choice but to leave. We loaded into the camp van; Argus would take us as far as he could, but then we'd be on our own.

As we turned onto the dirt road leaving camp, I glanced back one more time at the home I'd known for years, with all my friends, and wondered if it would be the last time I'd see it.

* * *

A/N: Leave a review telling me what you thought. Questions are welcome. Follow and favorite to show support. Thank you so much for reading, and I will see you all shortly.

Bye!


	30. Chapter 30

Doomer222: This story is great but can you have Orion attack them on the quest and don't forget Grover and espresso.

Orion will make an appearance in this act, and he'll definitely cause tension between Hunter and Zoe. And don't worry, I won't forget about Grover and Pan. When I write these chapters I have my copy of _The Titan's Curse_ open for reference so I don't miss any important details or plot points.

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Thirty: We Get an Unexpected Visitor**

Argus took us into New York, where we were able to pick up a rental car. A nice white minivan, like the kind soccer moms own. Zoe and Thalia argued for a bit about who should drive before the former pulled seniority and jumped into the driver's seat. Thalia sat next to her while Grover and I took the backseat.

Grover was skittish, though I couldn't tell if it was about the quest or me. Since I'd gotten my mark, two circles cut by six lines, he'd been afraid of me. He—and all nature folk, for that matter—considered my kind abominations. It was still a sore topic between us.

With traffic piling up for the holidays, it took us much longer than I would have liked. I was never a fan of cars; I couldn't move around, it always smelled like oil and leather, and I was usually stuck with someone who got motion sick—like Grover. With the way Zoe was driving, he almost threw up on me before I shoved his head out the open window.

We stopped at a rest stop in Maryland, and I was ever so grateful for it. Grover and Zoe went around back to do his tracking spell while Thalia and I made a hot chocolate run. While we were pouring our drinks, Thalia bumped my leg with her hip and said, "How are you doing?"

I looked over at her. "Good, how are you?"

"I'm doing fine. But I meant how are you doing with this quest? I know you and Artemis…"

 _Your part to play in this is fast approaching._ "I'm fine." _One shall die by a parent's hand._ "Totally cool."

She gave me a look. "You can't fool me, Hunter. What are you really thinking?"

I swallowed. "Promise you won't tell anyone? Especially Zoe."

"Of course."

I blinked back tears. "I'm scared. I don't want to die."

She put her arm around me. "You won't. I promise. If Artemis tries anything, I'll run her through with my spear."

That made me laugh. "I'd like to see that. Maybe I'll even help you."

"You better. I'm not fighting an Olympian by myself."

"I'll go for the eyes; you go for the heart?"

"Deal."

We brought our drinks just as Grover and Zoe walked in. We gave them theirs and headed out the door.

"Grover, are you sure?" Thalia asked.

"Well…pretty sure. Ninety-nine percent. Okay, eighty-five percent."

"I dislike this," Zoe said. "We should go straight west. The prophecy said west."

"Oh, like your tracking skills are better?" Thalia growled.

Zoe stepped toward her. "You challenge my skills, you scullion? You know nothing of being a Hunter!"

"Oh, scullion? You're calling me a _scullion_? What the heck is a scullion?"

"Whoa, you two," Grover said nervously. "Come on. Not again!"

"He's right," I said. "I came on this quest to save Artemis, not babysit two whiney children."

"Hey!" they both said.

"If Grover said D.C.'s our best bet, then we go to D.C." I shrugged. "Unless you doubt Artemis. It _is_ her scent we're tracking, after all."

"I never doubt Artemis," Zoe said.

"And I trust you guys," Thalia said.

"Good." I paused. "Oh, and a scullion is a servant assigned the most menial kitchen tasks, Thalia. So get in the car, you kitchen wench." I got a punch in the arm for that, but she got in the car.

Sometime later we crossed the Potomac River into central Washington. Grover gave Zoe directions, eventually leading us to a large-looking mall. Zoe parked the car on the curb and we all climbed out. Once we got closer I saw it wasn't a mall, but a museum.

I blinked. "The Smithsonian? Why would Artemis come here?"

"I do not know," Zoe replied, "but we will likely find out inside."

"If you say so," I said, and we went inside.

-o-

The main part of the museum was one huge room with rockets and airplanes hanging from the ceiling. Three levels of balconies curled around, so you could look at the exhibits from all different heights. The place wasn't crowded, just a few families and a couple of tour groups of kids, probably doing one of those holiday school trips. We went floor by floor, searching for either Artemis's or the monster she'd been hunting's scent.

We found neither.

We eventually decided to split up in order to cover more ground, Thalia and I, Zoe and Grover. We met back up at the third floor, emptyhanded.

"Are you sure she came this way?" Thalia asked Grover.

"Almost certain."

"Then why can't we find her?" I asked.

"She could have come here when the trail was growing old," Zoe replied. "And since then, it has disappeared completely."

"But what about _her_?"

Zoe's eyes tightened. "I do not know."

"So now what?" Thalia asked. "Do we look again."

"No," Zoe said. "No trace of Artemis is left here. We must look elsewhere."

"So we go wes—oof!" Something slammed into Thalia, knocking her into a space capsule. Grover jumped back; Zoe and I summoned our bows. Then we realized who it was.

"Percy?"

"You!" Zoe said. "How dare you show thy face here?"

"Percy!" Grover said. "Thank goodness."

Zoe glared at him, and he blushed. "I mean, um, gosh. You're not supposed to be here!"

"Luke," Percy gasped, panting. "He's here."

The anger in Thalia's eyes melted. She put her hand on her silver bracelet. "Where?"

I held back a scowl. Luke had betrayed us all, corrupted Anna, turned her bad. He nearly killed Thalia, was willing to kill Percy and Annabeth. He was a traitor. He needed to die. _If he shows his face, he will._

"The Natural History Museum," Percy said. "I followed you here, then I noticed Thorn."

I blinked. "Thorn lives?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah. He's here, with the General."

"The General is here?" Zoe looked stunned. "That is impossible! You lie."

"Why would I lie? Look, there's no time. Skeleton warriors—"

"What?" Thalia demanded. "How many?"

"Twelve. And that's not all. That guy, the General, he said he was sending something, a 'playmate,' to distract you over here. A monster."

Thalia and Grover exchanged looks.

"We were following Artemis's trail," Grover said. "I was pretty sure it led here. Some powerful monster scent…She must've stopped here looking for the mystery monster. But we haven't found anything yet."

"But if the General's here—" I began.

"It cannot be!" Zoe snapped. "Percy must have seen an Iris-message or some other illusion."

"Illusions don't crack marble floors," he told her.

Zoe took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. I didn't know why she was so worried, or how she knew the General, but now wasn't the time to ask. "If Percy is telling the truth about the skeleton warriors," she said, "we have no time to argue. They are the worst, the most horrible…We must leave now."

"Good idea," Percy said.

"I was not including thee, boy," Zoe said. "You are not part of this quest."

"Hey, I'm trying to save your lives!"

"You shouldn't have come, Percy," Thalia said grimly. "But you're here now. Come on. Let's get back to the car."

"That is not thy decision!" Zoe snapped.

Thalia scowled at her. "You're not the boss here, Zoe. I don't care how old you are! You're still a

conceited little brat!"

"You never had any wisdom when it came to boys," Zoe growled. "You never could leave them behind!"

Thalia looked like she was about to hit Zoe.

"Enough!" I said, stepping between them. "What's done is done. Percy should have stayed away—" _Should have listened to me._ "—but he's here now. He stays. Unless, Zoe, you'd like to—" Then something growled so deeply it sounded like a rocket starting.

Below us, a few adults screamed. A little kid's voice screeched with delight: "Kitty!"

Something enormous bounded up the ramp. It was the size of a pick-up truck, with silver claws and golden glittering fur. _Oh, gods above._

"The Nemean Lion," Thalia said. "Don't move."

The lion roared so loud it parted my hair. Its fangs gleamed like stainless steel.

"Separate on my mark," Zoe said. "Try to keep it distracted."

"Until when?" Grover asked.

"Until I think of a way to kill it. Go!"

Percy drew his sword and rolled to the left. Grover started playing something on his pipes. Zoe and I started climbing one of the capsules, firing our bows, but the arrows just bounced right off the lion's hide. The beast swiped at it, sending it—and us—careening.

Dazed, I rolled onto my stomach and pushed myself up. I could hear Thalia and the lion screaming, the sound of metal on metal, and Grover's reed pipes playing.

"Get up," I told Zoe, laying next to me. "Come on, we have to get up."

I looked over just in time to see Percy leap over the railing, the lion following it. " _Percy!"_

I was on my feet a second later, standing over the railing. Percy and the beast had landed on an old-fashioned silver airplane, which wobbled and swayed with each step they took. I fired an arrow at the neck of the Nemean Lion, but it bounced off.

The lion swiped at him, and Percy dropped onto the next exhibit, a weird-looking spacecraft with blades like a helicopter. On the exhibit above him, the lion roared. His face lit up. "The mouth!" he shouted. "Aim for the mouth."

 _Of course!_ I thought, getting an arrow ready. Zoe fired hers, but it missed by barely an inch. The monster lunged. Percy dropped from the spaceship onto the top of a floor exhibit, a huge model of the earth. He slid down Russia and dropped off the equator.

The Nemean Lion growled and steadied itself on the spacecraft, but its weight was too much. One of the cords snapped. As the display swung down like a pendulum, the lion leaped off onto the model earth's North Pole.

"Grover!" Percy yelled. "Clear the area!"

Groups of kids were running around screaming. Grover tried to corral them away from the monster just as the other cord on the spaceship snapped and the exhibit crashed to the floor. Thalia dropped off the second-floor railing and landed across from Percy, on the other side of the globe. The lion regarded them both, trying to decide which of us to kill first.

Zoe and I had our bows ready, but there was no way to target the mouth, so we kept having to move around to get a good angle.

"No clear shot!" Zoe yelled. "Get it to open its mouth more!"

The lion snarled from the top of the globe.

"Thalia," Percy said, "keep it occupied."

She nodded grimly. "Hi-yah!" She pointed her spear and a spidery arc of blue electricity shot out, zapping the lion in the tail.

The lion roared, turned, and pounced. Thalia rolled out of its way, holding up Aegis to keep the monster at bay, and Percy ran for the gift shop.

"This is no time for souvenirs, boy!" Zoe yelled.

"What is he doing?" I muttered, but I trusted him, so I kept shooting. Zoe did too, but our arrows did nothing. The beast was smart; it didn't open its mouth too wide, and kept its eyes narrowed just enough to see. _Clever girl._

Thalia jabbed at the monster and backed up. The lion pressed her. "Percy," she called, "whatever you're going to do—"

The lion roared and swatted her like a cat toy, sending her flying into the side of a Titan rocket. Her head hit the metal and she slid to the floor.

" _NO!"_

"Hey!" Percy's sword bounced off the lion's side, and it turned to face him from where he'd thrown it. They charged at each other, and at the last second, Percy threw something silvery down its throat. The lion's eyes got wide and it gagged like a cat with a hairball.

I wondered what he threw, then decided to ask later.

"Zoe, get ready!" he yelled.

The lion swallowed and turned to him. It roared, and Percy threw another silvery thing down its mouth. _Are those…food packets?_ Did the gift shop sell snacks?

The lion's eyes bugged. It opened its mouth wide and reared up on its back paws, trying to get away.

"Now!" Percy yelled.

Zoe and I fired arrow after arrow down its gullet, until it let out a final roar and fell, limp. Alarms wailed throughout the museum. People were flocking to the exits. Security guards were running around in a panic with no idea what was going on. Grover knelt at Thalia's side and helped her up. She seemed okay, just a little dazed. Zoe and I dropped from the balcony and landed next to Percy.

Zoe eyed him cautiously. "That was…an interesting strategy."

"Hey, it worked."

She didn't argue.

The lion seemed to be melting, the way dead monsters do sometimes, until there was nothing left but its glittering fur coat, and even that seemed to be shrinking to the size of a normal lion's pelt.

"Take it," Zoe said.

Percy stared at her. "What, the lion's fur? Isn't that, like, an animal rights violation or something?"

"It is a spoil of war," she told him. "It is rightly thine."

"You killed it," he objected.

She shook her head, almost smiling. "I think thy ice-cream sandwich did that. Fair is fair, Percy Jackson. Take the fur."

I nodded, forgiving him for coming along. "Do it, Percy, or I will."

He picked it up gently, as though it were still dangerous. As we watched, the pelt shifted and changed into a coat—a full-length golden-brown duster.

He frowned. "Not exactly my style."

"We have to get out of here," Grover said. "The security guards won't stay confused for long."

I noticed how strange it was that the guards hadn't rushed forward to catch us. They were scrambling in all directions except ours, like they were madly searching for something. A few were running into the walls or each other.

"You did that?" Percy asked Grover.

He nodded, looking a little embarrassed. "A minor confusion song. I played some Barry Manilow. It works every time. But it'll only last a few seconds."

"The security guards are not our biggest worry," Zoe said. "Look."

Through the glass walls of the museum were a group of men walking across the lawn. Gray men in gray camouflage outfits.

"Go," Percy said. "They'll be hunting me. I'll distract them."

"No," Zoe said. "We go together."

He stared at her. "But, you said—"

"You are part of this quest now," Zoe said grudgingly. "I do not like it, but there is no changing fate. You are the final quest member. And we are not leaving anyone behind."

As one, we turned and bolted for the doors.

-o-

We were crossing the Potomac when we spotted the helicopter. It was a sleek, black military model just like the one we'd seen at Westover Hall. And it was coming straight toward us.

"They know the van," Percy said. "We have to ditch it."

Zoe swerved into the fast lane. The helicopter was gaining.

"Maybe the military will shoot it down," Grover said hopefully.

"The military probably thinks it's one of theirs," Percy said. "How can the General use mortals, anyway?"

"Mercenaries," Zoe said bitterly. "It is distasteful, but many mortals will fight for any cause as long as they are paid."

"Lickspittles," I said. "No ounce of loyalty or honor; just greed.

"But don't these mortals see who they're working for?" Percy asked. "Don't they notice all the monsters around them?"

Zoe shook her head. "I do not know how much they see through the Mist. I doubt it would matter to them if they knew the truth. Sometimes mortals can be more horrible than monsters."

The helicopter kept coming, making a lot better time than we were through D.C. traffic. Thalia closed her eyes and prayed hard. "Hey, Dad. A lightning bolt would be nice about now. Please?" But the sky stayed gray and snowy. No sign of a helpful thunderstorm.

 _Turn right, brother,_ a voice said in my head. I recalled it from somewhere, but not where.

"What?" I asked.

"I didn't say anything," Grover said.

 _Quickly now._

"Turn here!" I said. I pointed to a mostly-empty parking lot. I didn't know why the voice wanted me to turn there, but something made me trust them.

"But we'll be trapped," Zoe objected.

"Trust me. Please."

Zoe shot across two lanes of traffic and into a mall parking lot on the south bank of the river. We left the van and ran down some steps. A crow cawed above us.

 _Subway entrance ahead,_ the voice said. _South. Alexandria. Hurry, brother._

I relayed the information to the rest of the group. We bought tickets and got through the turnstiles, looking behind us for any signs of pursuit. A few minutes later we were safely aboard a southbound train, riding away from D.C. As our train came above ground, we could see the helicopter circling the parking lot, but it didn't come after us.

Grover let out a sigh. "Nice job, Hunter, thinking of the subway."

I gave a smile. "Thanks."

"How did you know?" Thalia asked. "Have you been here before?"

"No, but…" I chewed my lip. "I can't really explain it. I—" I closed my mouth. The sound of the helicopter was getting louder again.

"We need to change trains," Percy said. "Next station."

Over the next half hour, all we thought about was getting away safely. We changed trains twice. I had no idea where we were going, but after a while we lost the helicopter.

Our final train barely had anyone inside; a few construction workers and an old woman. We took our seats and watched for any sign of the helicopter, just in case. When ten minutes without any passed, we breathed a sigh of relief.

"Lost 'em," Percy mentioned.

"For now."

We all jumped. Sitting next to me was someone who hadn't been there before—a boy with nut-brown hair, pale skin, and green eyes. His lips were dark red, like they were covered in lipstick or blood.

" _You?"_ I asked, shocked. The last time I'd seen him was in a dream. He'd replaced his cloak of animal skins with denim jeans, a white undershirt, and a red-and-white plaid button-up shirt.

"Me," he said simply, unsmiling. He looked a little like Jay, but far less muscular; more sinewy, like he wasn't eating right.

"You know this guy?" Thalia asked. She and the others were on their feet.

"Yeah," I said, swallowing. _What is he doing here?_

 _I'm here to help you,_ his voice said in my head. _You are yet needed._

I blinked and got to my feet. "How did you do that?"

"It is a gift you and I both hold, brother." He turned to my friends. "My name is Brandon. I am here to help you achieve your goal."

"You know where Artemis is?" Zoe asked.

"I do. Simply follow this train to its final stop, and you will find the way." He gazed at her with his dark green eyes. "Your fears are true, Zoe Nightshade. You must conquer them before you reach your goddess, else they conquer you."

"What's he talking about?" Thalia asked. Zoe had gone deathly pale, and returned to her seat.

"In due time, Thalia Grace."

Thalia's eyes widened. "How do you know my—?"

"I know many things about all of you. I know you, Percy Jackson, have a great destiny to fulfill." He turned to me. "If he is to succeed, you _must_ learn to harness your powers fully."

"Hold on," Percy said. "What are you talking about?"

"You will know in time."

"I don't like this," Grover muttered, too loudly. Brandon turned his eyes on the satyr and regarded him silently for a moment.

"Your kind has always feared me and mine, Grover Underwood. Regardless, we are here to help."

"W-What do you mean?"

Slowly, he pulled up he sleeves, revealing two circles, one smaller than the other, intersected by six lines like spears. Grover let out a gasp and moved back. "Abomination," he muttered. I scowled. I hated that word.

Brandon put a hand on my shoulder. "Forgive him, brother, he is simply afraid, frightened by legends passed down by his family."

I swallowed my anger. "Grover's always been a coward."

"Hey," Percy said. "Don't talk about—"

"Am I wrong?"

Percy paused, looked back at Grover trembling, then said nothing. The train stopped.

"I must leave you here," Brandon said, rising. "Seek us out below the earth when you are ready. The Lady of Nature awaits." When he stepped onto the station, a crow landed upon his shoulder, cawing. He stroked its chin with a finger. "Hush, Dusk. He will survive. He must." The door closed as he began to walk away, and the ugly crow turned back toward me and cawed.

The ride after that was filled with awkward silence. When we finally got off the train we found ourselves at the end of the line, in an industrial area with nothing but warehouses and railway tracks. And snow. Lots of snow.

We wandered through the railway yard, thinking there might be another passenger train somewhere, but there were just rows and rows of freight cars, most of which were covered in snow, like they hadn't moved in years.

A homeless guy was standing at a trash-can fire. We must've looked pretty pathetic, because he gave us a toothless grin and said, "Y'all need to get warmed up? Come on over!" He looked a little familiar, but I couldn't tell where from. A minute of studying him gave it away, however. I was too cold to say anything, however.

We huddled around his fire, Thalia's teeth were chattering. She said, "Well this is g-g-g-great."

"My hooves are frozen," Grover complained.

"Feet," Percy corrected.

I gazed miserably around the rail yard. Somewhere, far to the west, Annabeth was in danger. Artemis was in chains. A doomsday monster was on the loose. And we were stuck on the outskirts of D.C., sharing a homeless person's fire.

"You know," the homeless man said, "you're never completely without friends." He smiled at us with yellow teeth. "You kids need a train going west?"

"Yes, sir," Percy said. "You know of any?"

He pointed one greasy hand. Suddenly I noticed a freight train, gleaming and free of snow. It was one of those automobile-carrier trains, with steel mesh curtains and a triple-deck of cars inside. The side of the freight train said SUN WEST LINE.

 _Sun West Line,_ I thought. _Could you get any more obvious, Apollo?_

"That's…convenient," Thalia said. "Thanks, uh…"

She turned to the disguised god, but he was gone. The trash can in front of us was cold and empty, as if he'd taken the flames with him.

An hour later we were rumbling west. There was no problem about who would drive now, because we all got our own luxury car. Zoe crashed in a Lexus on the top deck. Grover was playing race car driver behind the wheel of a Lamborghini. Thalia had hot-wired the radio in a black Mercedes SLK so she could pick up the alt-rock stations from D.C. Percy went to join her while I snagged a sleek black and silver Ferrari.

I leaned the seat back and closed my eyes, trying to sleep. When that didn't work, I said, "Thanks for this. The train, I mean."

There was a chuckle next to me. "Don't worry about it, kiddo."

I opened my eyes. Apollo was still in his homeless guise, so I didn't respond.

He cocked his head. "Something wrong?"

"I'm not speaking until you drop that ridiculous disguise."

He looked down at himself. "What's wrong with my disguise?"

"You look as trashy as your haikus sound."

He gasped. "How dare you!" I raised an eyebrow. He sighed and snapped his fingers, looking like his usual self. "You really aggravate me sometimes."

"Only sometimes? Guess I'm not trying hard enough."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm surprised you came on this quest, if I'm being honest."

"I didn't really have a choice," I said back. "'One shall die by a parent's hand,' and all that."

He straightened, looking serious. "You don't…you don't mean _Artemis,_ do you?"

"Well, her or Orion, and that gigantic pain in the ass hasn't shown his face yet."

" _You met Orion?"_

I nodded. "Last year. Back when Tantalus was running camp. On our way back Mel, Jay and I ran into him. Well, I guess he ran into _us._ We fought. We escaped. I haven't seen him since."

Apollo was looking a little panicked. "Y-You met Orion."

I nodded. "You're so quick, Apollo. You could give Hermes a run for his money." I frowned. "He said you drove him mad, that you were afraid he'd charm Artemis out of her pants."

"Hey," he warned. "She's your mother, you watch your language."

"Or what?" I countered. "She'll kill me?"

He flinched. " _No._ S-She wouldn't—"

"Are you sure?" I asked. "Because I _distinctly_ remember the reason you hid me away was _because_ you were afraid she'd kill me."

His ears reddened. "I was wrong about that."

"Really? Because it was _your_ oracle that talked about the 'Die by a parent's hand' thing. Sure doesn't seem like you're wrong."

"Trust me, kid, Artemis doesn't want to kill you. The opposite, in fact. She's trying to protect you."

I scoffed, angry now. "By completely ignoring me?"

"Yes. Look, Artemis has a lot of enemies on Olympus and beyond. All the monsters she's killed, for instance, would do anything to get a shot at you."

"They are welcome to try me."

"No." Apollo's voice had a sudden harness to it. "These monsters would make even the most battle-hardened demigod run for the hills. Monsters so terrible she has to face them alone, or with me. They'd eat you for breakfast."

"I'm plenty safe at camp. They can't touch me."

"Maybe not, but other gods can."

"Like who?"

"Aphrodite, for one. And her son Eros."

I scoffed. "You think I'm afraid of the _love goddess_ and her little errand boy?"

"You should be. Love is a dangerous thing. Have you ever heard the tale of Polyphonte?"

"No. Oh, and do use small words, I'm not as bright as you."

Apollo scowled and said, "Polyphonte was a maiden who was commanded by Aphrodite to marry and produce children. She refused, and sought refuge from Artemis. Aphrodite saw this as an affront, and drove the girl to lust after a bear."

"Why can't you gods just relax and stop getting offended over everything?"

"Disgusted, Artemis abandoned Polyphonte, who later gave birth to two half-bear children. Their story isn't important, so I'll end it there."

"Is there a point to this, or are you just showing me how petty you gods are?" If I ever became a god, I wouldn't be like that.

"I'm showing you," Apollo said through his teeth, "that Aphrodite isn't someone to scoff at. Not even Artemis's protections could save Polyphonte. And hers isn't the only story like that. Atalanta, the women of Lemnos, Hippolytus, Glaucus of Corinth, Paris and Helen, and so many others."*

"I get it."

"Oh, and she's also fiercely overprotective of her children."

I raised an eyebrow. "What's that got to do with me?"

"Aren't you smitten with one of her daughters? Annabelle, wasn't it?"

I sat up straight. "How do you know about that?"

"Hunter, baby boy, you really think I wasn't keeping my eye on you? I know all about your star-crossed love with Aphrodite's girl."

"We aren't—I'm not—I don't…"

"It doesn't matter if you are or not; if Aphrodite finds out you've been hanging around her daughter…I shudder to think what could happen to you. Not to mention all the people Aphrodite's involved with—Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes when she's in the mood…They'd all be willing to go through you if it meant they could make Aphrodite happy."

I swallowed. "Okay. So Artemis didn't claim me to keep me safe. But she could've spoken to me in other ways—dreams, for one."

He nodded. "True. Artemis hasn't been the best mother to you, I will admit that. There are a lot of ways she could be better, but at least give her a chance. You don't need to forgive her, just don't hold it against her as harshly. No matter what you think, she _does_ love you."

I nodded. "Okay. I'll…I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask." He checked his watch. "We'll, it's getting pretty late. I got to run before Lord Zeus starts getting suspicious. See you around, kid."

I gave a wave. "Bye, Apollo."**

Then I was left alone in my car with my thoughts. I took a deep breath and leaned back, head swirling. _Why would Brandon come here now?_ It didn't really make sense. That part of my life had always been isolated, kept a secret from everyone else; and now one of the people like me leads me onto a train heading in the perfect direction to run into Apollo? And what about Anna? Did I like her? I had promised to kill her the last time we'd spoken, and it was a promise I intended to keep. _She betrayed me. She tried to kill me. She deserves to die._

My thoughts drifted suddenly to Thalia. _Why her?_ She and Anna were certainly similar, with their dark hair, confident personalities, and beautiful—

I blinked. _What?_ Anna was undeniably beautiful, daughter of Aphrodite and all that, but Thalia? With her punk clothes and rock band buttons, she seemed more dangerous than pretty. _Why not both? Atalanta was reportedly beautiful, and a better huntress than anyone else around._ If she could do it, I supposed Thalia could too. Then a felt a seed of doubt in my stomach. _Would she even like me back?_ Doubtful. She and Luke were old history, with their own messes to deal with. The last thing Thalia needed to deal with was m—

A knock at my window cut off my train of thought. Zoe was standing out there, looking in at me. I hit the unlock button and she took a seat.

"Everything all right?"

She sniffed. "I grew weary of thy satyr friend trying to impress me with his poison ivy song."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't know why he insists. There's not much of you to be impressed by."

She scowled. "I could say the same of thee."

I shrugged. "Doesn't really offend me. Why are you here?"

"I wished to speak with thee."

"About?"

"Thy reason to be on this quest. You have made no effort to hide your distain for thy mother. Yet you came along to free her. Why?"

 _Your part to play in this is fast approaching._ "I want to help Annabeth. She's my friend."

"And Lady Artemis?"

I chewed on that. "She is necessary. Balance, plus Kronos is growing stronger, and if Olympus waits it may not be standing next year."

"I see."

"Does that upset you? That I'm not making her a priority?"

She shook her head. "What upsets me is the pain thou causes her."

"What pain?"

"After you rejected her, that night in the forest with thy friends, I went to speak with her, to find out the truth of your claims. She had been crying. Whatever thee said to her…caused that. Why are you so cruel?"

I looked at her. "Why are you so loyal?"

"I do not see what—"

"Humor me. Why do you stick up for her so much? Are you two lovers?"

She looked at me as though I had grown a second head. "W-What dost thou—thee hast no right to—no, we are not lovers." She took a deep breath. "She is my goddess, my sister-in-arms, and my friend. Nothing more."

"Are you sure? I don't care if you are."

"I am certain." She looked at me. "Why does this matter?"

"Because I don't understand how you can be so loyal to her. What has she done to earn it?"

"She gave me a home when I had none, a new family, and a second chance. She has also been compassionate, kind, caring, and patient."

My mouth twisted. "None of which she has been with me."

She frowned. "What do thou mean?"

"I mean, she has been none of those things with me. She refused to speak with me for over two years, did little to help me understand my abilities, and didn't acknowledge me as her son until very recently."

"That cannot be right."

"Zoe, that night I saved you from those giants? That was the first time I interacted with Artemis. When you saved me from Lycaon—that was the second. Both times were accidental. Had you never stumbled across me all those years ago, I never would have met her. The only time she's ever intentionally sought me out was when she claimed me. That was the first time, in almost three years, that she said, 'This is my son. He is mine.' So you'll forgive me if I'm not gushing over her like you."

"Even so, you should still respect her—"

"I am respecting her. She wants to be left alone? Fine, I'll leave her alone. I'll respect her wishes."

"She _wishes_ you would accept her, that you would treat her as thy mother. Yet you do not. You spit in her face and slap away her attempts to aid you."

"What attempts?"

"She was willing to allow you to spend the night at our camp, to rest for your journey. She gave you her blessing so thee may come on this quest. She…she was even willing to offer thee a spot in the Hunters, an honor only given to two other males in history. Yet you threw it back in her face."

"So what? You want me to just forget about all the crap she hasn't done? Let bygones be bygones and welcome her with open arms? 'Oh, Mother, I'm so sorry for my foolish behavior. How you must despair at having such a stupid male for a child. Let me worship the ground you walk on as penance.' Is that right?"

"No, you stupid boy!" she said. "I am saying you should _talk to her._ Get her side of the story. Give her a chance."

 _That's two people saying the same thing tonight._ Did they coordinate it? Probably not. I doubted Zoe could stand to be with Apollo for more than a few minutes without trying to claw his eyes out. "Maybe."

"Please," she asked. It looked like she was trying to swallow a golf ball. "Promise me you will try."

 _Why should I promise you anything?_ Still, her sincerity made me pause. _Am I making a mistake?_ I looked in her eyes, and found I couldn't refuse. "I promise. But only if she makes the first step."

She nodded. "I suppose that will be good enough."

"Assuming she doesn't kill me first," I said bitterly.

She looked at me. "Why would she kill thee?"

"The prophecy, remember? 'One shall die by a parent's hand.'"

"That line does not refer to thee."

The way she said it made my hair stand on end. "How do you know?"

"I just do," she said, opening the door and stepping out, leaving me once again alone with my thoughts.

* * *

* Seriously, you guys should really read these stories. They are a _huge_ indication that Aphrodite is not to be fucked with.

** After this Apollo had his little talk with Percy, so they'll still know about Nereus and Zoe's past with Heracles.

A/N: If you guys like this, please leave a review telling me what you thought, or any questions you might have. Follow and favorite to show support. I'll see you all next time.

Bye!


	31. Chapter 31

Famond: …but do you really want to say [Aphrodite's] powerful? It makes me wonder, if Zeus is so easily paranoid, how comes he hasn't dealt with Aphrodite yet? She's a big threat to him unless he's too 'powerful' for it to affect him completely? Also, could the Olympians give away some of Aphrodite's domains, like give 'Love' to say Hera or Hestia? And give the rest to another god?

Yes, absolutely. Aphrodite is likely one of the most powerful immortals on the planet. Her ability to manipulate love, passion, and desire could be a force to be reckoned with. Zeus likely hasn't dealt with her because 1). Aphrodite could manipulate him into falling in love with a rock, charm him into thinking she's harmless, or convince one of the other (or all) the Olympians to stand against him; and 2). Zeus is only paranoid about those who seek to overthrow him. Since Aphrodite has no desire to do that, he doesn't consider her a threat. I don't think it's possible for Zeus to "give away" another deity's powers, since said deity embodies their domains. It would be like trying to give away your blood or vital organs without surgery—they're a vital part of you, so it's not really possible. I mean, even though Apollo at this point is mortal, he's _still_ god of the sun, with nobody else in the Greek pantheon taking his place (so far as we know). People like Helios and Selene losing their domains was due to them fading, with their powers being passed on to their heirs—Apollo and Artemis, respectively. Since people still have passions and desires, it's doubtful that Aphrodite will be fading anytime soon.

The Sorrowful Deity: Does Zoe know Orion is Hunter's father? I wonder how she'd react.

No, Zoe has no idea that Hunter is Orion's son. They'd have a _much_ worse relationship if she did. Nobody except Hunter, Jay, Melony, Apollo, Artemis, Leto, Niobe, and (obviously) Orion himself know of the connection the two share. But you'll see that change soon enough.

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Thirty-One: I Meet the Lady of Love**

We arrived on the outskirts of a little ski town nestled in the mountains. The sign said _WELCOME TO CLOUDCROFT, NEW MEXICO_. The air was cold and thin. The roofs of the cabins were heaped with snow, and dirty mounds of it were piled up on the sides of the streets. Tall pine trees loomed over the valley, casting pitch-black shadows, though the morning was sunny.

We were all freezing, our breaths coming in puffs of mist. Apparently Apollo has also visited Percy earlier last night, and had instructed him to seek out Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea, who supposedly knew everything. Heracles had done that once. He was supposed to be slippery; Jay would have been able to hold him, if he was here. Mel could have kept us warm; she was good at that.

Percy also told us about the dream he'd had—the General would only keep Annabeth alive until the solstice. That was in four days.

We stopped in the middle of town. You could pretty much see everything from there: a school, a bunch of tourist stores and cafes, some ski cabins, and a grocery store.

"Great," Thalia said, looking around. "No bus stations. No taxis. No car rental. No way out."

"There's a coffee shop!" said Grover.

"Yes," Zoe said. "Coffee is good."

"And pastries," Grover said dreamily. "And wax paper."

Thalia sighed. "Fine. How about you two go get us some food. Percy, Hunter, and I will check in the grocery store. Maybe they can give us directions." We agreed to meet back in front of the grocery store in fifteen minutes.

The clerk inside wasn't much help. There weren't any ways out of town unless you had your own car, and calling a taxi from the bottom of the mountain would take several hours and a couple hundred dollars—things we didn't have. Thalia stormed off to try some of the other stores while Percy and I waited out front for Zoe and Grover.

"So…how are you?" Percy asked awkwardly. I assumed he was still thinking about the incident with Brandon.

"I'm worried about Annabeth."

"I am too. But we'll find her, I know it." It sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than me.

"I'm sure we will."

"And Artemis too."

I wasn't sure where he was going with that, but I put an end to it by not responding. We waited in awkward silence until Zoe and Grover arrived with the drinks and pastries. Hot chocolate for Percy and me. Coffee for them.

"We should do the tracking spell," Zoe said. "Grover, do you have any acorns left?"

"Umm," Grover mumbled. He was chewing on a bran muffin, wrapper and all. "I think so. I just need to—" He froze.

I was about to ask what was wrong, when a warm breeze rustled past, like a gust of springtime had gotten lost in the middle of winter. Fresh air seasoned with wildflowers and sunshine. And something else—almost like a voice, trying to say something. A warning.

I shuddered. It was like being inside Winter, our minds working through one body. I felt like running, but not from fear; from exhilaration.

Zoe gasped. "Grover, thy cup."

Grover dropped his coffee cup, which was decorated with pictures of birds. Suddenly the birds peeled off the cup and flew away—a flock of tiny doves. The rubber chew-toy rat Percy bought squeaked to like. It scampered off the railing and into the trees—real fur, real whiskers.

Grover collapsed next to his coffee, which steamed against the snow. We gathered around him and tried to wake him up. He groaned, his eyes fluttering.

"Hey!" Thalia said, running up from the street. "I just…What's wrong with Grover?"

"I don't know," Percy said. "He collapsed."

"Uuuuuhhhh," Grover groaned.

"Well, get him up!" Thalia said. She had her spear in her hand. She looked behind her as if she were being followed. "We have to get out of here."

We made it to the edge of the town before the first two skeleton warriors appeared. They stepped from the trees on either side of the road. Instead of gray camouflage, they were now wearing blue New Mexico State Police uniforms, but they had the same transparent gray skin and yellow eyes.

They drew their handguns. Thalia tapped her bracelet. Aegis spiraled to life on her arm, but the warriors didn't flinch. I drew Riptide, though I wasn't sure what good it would do against guns. Zoe drew her bow. Grover swooned and nearly lost his balance before I caught him.

"Back up," Thalia said.

We started to—but then I heard a rustling of branches. Two more skeletons appeared on the road behind us. We were surrounded. I wondered where the other skeletons were; there were supposed to be around a dozen. Then one of the warriors raised a cell phone to his mouth and spoke into it. Except he wasn't speaking. He made a clattering, clicking sound, like dry teeth on bone. Suddenly I understood what was going on. The skeletons had split up to look for us. These skeletons were now calling their brethren. Soon we'd have a full party on our hands.

"It's near," Grover moaned.

"It's here," Percy said.

"No," he insisted. "The gift. The gift from the Wild." A crow cawed above us.

I didn't know what he was talking about, but I was worried about his condition. He was in no shape to walk, much less fight.

"We'll have to go one-on-one," Thalia said. "Four of them. Four of us. Maybe they'll ignore Grover that way."

"Agreed," said Zoe.

"Not quite," said a familiar voice. Before I had time to react, a pair of arms wrapped around my neck and lifted me off my feet. I choked for air. "Miss me?"

I tried to kick him, but he moved out of the way. My friends turned in surprise. Grover was on his stomach moaning, while Zoe threw her bow aside and drew her knife. " _ORION!"_ she screamed, running at us. She jumped into the air, but the giant knocked her aside with a hand.

He laughed. "As much as I'd love to kill you, Zoe, I'm afraid this is between my son and me."

Zoe rose slowly. "Son…?"

"Isn't the resemblance obvious?"

"The Wild!" Grover moaned. Orion kicked him in the stomach.

A warm wind blew through the canyon, rustling the trees. The crow cawed again. The skeletons fired their guns. Percy and dodged and cut the skeleton in half. Immediately it began to knit itself back together.

Orion turned. "Come on, Hunter. We had a _lot_ of catching up to do." Suddenly he staggered and cried out in pain.

" _Orion!"_ came Zoe's voice again. While he was distracted I bit down as hard as I could on his hand. He screamed and dropped me. I landed on my feet, rolled, and spit out the chunk of flesh I'd taken. Gold blood ran down my chin. I summoned my bow and turned, firing an arrow right into his throat. Unfortunately, he didn't die; instead, he growled, ripped the arrow out, and reached behind him. He pulled out a silver arrow, dripping gold. He threw it aside contemptuously.

"Fine. If getting you means I have to kill Artemis's lieutenant, then it's a price I'm more than willing to—"

With a mighty roar, the largest pig I'd ever seen came crashing into the road. It was a wild boar, thirty feet high, with a snotty pink snout and tusks the size of canoes. Its back bristled with brown hair, and its eyes were wild and angry.

"REEEEEEEEET!" it squealed, and raked the three skeletons aside with its tusks. The force was so great, they went flying over the trees and into the side of the mountain, where they smashed to pieces, thigh bones and arm bones twirling everywhere.

Then the pig turned on us.

Zoe and I threw ourselves to the side as the pig charged past us, right into Orion. He managed to get out a surprised "Wha—?" before the pig bulldozed into him. Orion screamed as the pig ran him over. There was a _snap,_ and I saw one of the beast's tusks had snapped off and embedded itself in his stomach. When it charged him again, he moved aside and stabbed it with his knife. The pig screamed and thrashed wildly, sending Orion flying back. He hit a rock and lay unmoving.

Thalia raised her spear, but Grover yelled, "Don't kill it.'"

The boar grunted and pawed the ground, ready to charge.

"That's the Erymanthian Boar," Zoe said, trying to stay calm. "I don't think we _can_ kill it."

"It's a gift," Grover said. "A blessing from the Wild!"

The boar said "REEEEEEET!" and swung its tusk. Zoe and I dived out of the way. Percy had to push Grover so he wouldn't get launched into the mountain on the Boar Tusk Express.

"Yeah, I feel blessed!" Percy said. "Scatter!"

We ran in different directions, and for a moment the boar was confused.

"It wants to kill us!" Thalia said.

"Of course," Grover said. "It's wild!"

"So how is that a blessing?" I asked.

Apparently it found that offensive, as it charged my next. I rolled out of the way of its hooves and came up behind it as it stopped and pulverized the WELCOME TO CLOUDCROFT sign.

"This thing's gonna kill us!" Thalia cried.

"No, it won't," I said. I closed my eyes and prayed my plan would work on something this size.

"What are you doing?"

I left my body and went into the pig's. It reared on its legs, like it was trying to throw something off its back. I held on as tight as I could, refusing to let go. This thing was wild, completely chaotic. I tried harder to control it, but it shrieked harder and charged at my body.

" _HUNTER!"_ Thalia yelled.

With all my willpower, I focused my energy on giving one command: _STOP!_

The pig slowed and skidded, stopping just in front of my stone-still body. It was trembling, shaking with rage. Wild things hate being caged, and it took all I could do to stop it from lashing out.

Slowly, I pulled just enough of myself out to move my own body. The pig was looking at me with barely-concealed loathing. It wanted nothing more than to rip me limb from limb.

"You stay," I commanded, not breaking eye contact. It huffed and pawed the ground. "You. Stay," I said again.

"Hunter?" Percy asked.

"It should be safe now. Grover," I called, "can you do your nature thing? Make this…animal…listen to you?"

"What…what did you do?" the satyr asked.

"I put it on a leash," I said back.

"You…you shouldn't—"

"I don't care what I _should_ and _shouldn't_ do. Annabeth has four days left. Artemis is missing. Titans are rising and the world is ending. So I don't give a damn if this is an abomination or not, it's done. It's a blessing, right? So use it."

"A blessing of the Wild," Grover said, though he now looked agitated.

"I agree," Zoe said. "We must use it."

"Hold up," Thalia said irritably. "Explain to me why you're so sure this pig is a blessing."

Grover looked over, distracted. "It's our ride west. Do you have any idea how fast this boar can travel?"

"Fun," Percy said. "Like…pig cowboys."

Grover nodded. "We need to get aboard. I wish…I wish I had more time to look around. But it's gone now."

"What's gone?"

Grover didn't seem to hear him. He walked over to the boar and jumped onto its back. The boar chaffed at being mounted, but I reined him in. _Still._ Grover took out his pipes. He started playing a snappy tune and tossed an apple in front of the boar. The apple floated and spun right above the boar's nose, and the boar went nuts, straining to get it.

"Automatic steering," Thalia murmured. "Great."

She trudged over and jumped on behind Grover, which still left plenty of room for the rest of us.

Zoe and I walked toward the boar.

"Wait a second," Percy said. "Do you two know what Grover is talking about—this wild blessing?"

"Of course," Zoe said. "Did you not feel it in the wind? It was so strong…I never thought I would sense that presence again."

"What presence?"

She stared at him like he was stupid. "The Lord of the Wild, of course. Just for a moment, in the arrival of the boar, I felt the presence of Pan."

Percy gaped at her. "You mean—"

"Later," I said. I hopped onto the boar and put my arms around Thalia's waist. She leaned into me. "Hurry up, Percy, before I lose control of this thing."

-o-

We rode the boar until sunset, which was for the best; my concentration was slipping. I had no idea how many miles we covered, but the mountains faded into the distance and were replaced by miles of flat, dry land. The grass and scrub brush got sparser until we were traveling across the desert.

As night fell, the boar came to a stop at a creek bed and snorted. He started drinking the muddy water, then ripped a saguaro cactus out of the ground and chewed it, needles and all.

"This is as far as he'll go," Grover said. "We need to get off while he's eating."

Nobody needed convincing. We slipped off the boar's back while he was busy ripping up cacti. Then we waddled away as best we could with our saddle sores.

After its third saguaro and another drink of muddy water, the boar squealed and belched, then whirled around and galloped back toward the east.

"It likes the mountains better," Percy guessed.

"I can't—" Thalia said, but she was interrupted when Zoe grabbed my shirt collar.

" _You,"_ she hissed. "Thy father is _Orion_?"

I pushed her away. "Unfortunately."

"I should kill thee."

"Why? Because he's a part of me?"

"Yes! Thy very existence is a slight to Lady Artemis and my sisters."

"Hold on," Thalia said, getting between us. "Who's Orion?"

"The star guy," I explained.

"Wait," Percy said, "you mean, like, _the_ Orion?"

"Yes."

"Wasn't he a mortal—a son of Poseidon?"

"No," Zoe said. "Those details are fabrications. Orion is a giant, a son of Gaea and Tartarus. He was created to destroy Artemis and Apollo and usurp them, but unlike his brethren, he did not make war with Olympus."

"He became one of Artemis's followers," I said. "From what he told me, they were friends. Lovers too."

Zoe flushed purple. " _They were not._ "

"That's just what he told me," I said, voice calm. We didn't need to come to blows. "He said that he loved her, that she loved him, and that Apollo drove him mad, made him want to kill all the animals and beasts he could find. Gaea put a stop to it, and when he re-formed, Artemis killed him."

"And you believe him?"

"I believe he was driven mad, and that he truly did love Artemis, but then she killed him. But since I have no evidence to the contrary, I'm not sure how much of the tale is true. Do you?"

"I know…pieces. Orion joined before I, and I only witnessed his return. Only Artemis knows the full truth."

 _And she'll likely only tell the side that favors her._ "Then we'll have to ask her when this is done."

"Hold on," Thalia said, "if you're Orion and Artemis's son, then how…?"

I told them of my birth—how Niobe used a portion of Artemis and Orion's essence to make me, and how they planned to use me."

"But I'm not what they made me," I said. "I'm not like him."

"Not yet," Zoe said. "But how long until he gets his hands on you, turns you to his purpose? It would be better to kill thee now and ensure my sisters' safety."

Percy and Thalia stepped between us. "No," Thalia said. "You won't touch him."

"He was _made_ to hurt my lady, and my sisters."

"Then why is he helping you rescue her?" Percy asked.

"A trick, a way to get in close and—"

"If I wanted to sabotage the mission, I would have done so already. I'm on your side, Zoe."

"Thy father has killed _hundreds_ of innocent girls! Hunters, Amazons, any woman who reminds him of Artemis."

"And Artemis has killed her fair share of innocents as well; Iphigenia, Callisto, Polyphonte, that boy from Dakota, and others! Is their blood on my hands too? Is Percy responsible for Medusa's fate? Is Thalia to blame for Pandora? How far does it go?"

Zoe took a breath and stepped back. "Thee are correct. You had nothing to do with Orion. I am…sorry. Thy father has caused my much pain over the millennia. Forgive me."

"Let's just go," I said, moving past her.

Ahead of us was a two-lane road half covered with sand. On the other side of the road was a cluster of buildings too small to be a town: a boarded-up house, a taco shop that looked like it hadn't been open for decades, and a white stucco post office with a sign that said _GILA CLAW, ARIZONA_ hanging crooked above the door. Beyond that was a range of hills…but then I noticed they weren't regular hills. The countryside was way too flat for that. The hills were enormous mounds of old cars, appliances, and other scrap metal. It was a junkyard that seemed to go on forever.

"Whoa," Percy said. I agreed with him. It seemed wrong, somehow. Like this was a place best avoided.

"Something tells me we're not going to find a car rental here," Thalia said. She looked at Graver. "I don't suppose you got another wild boar up your sleeve?"

Grover was sniffing the wind, looking nervous. He fished out his acorns and threw them into the sand, then played his pipes. They rearranged themselves in a pattern that made Grover go pale.

"That's us," he said. "Those five nuts right there."

"Which one is me?" Percy asked.

"The little deformed one," Zoe suggested.

"Oh, shut up."

"That cluster right there," Grover said, pointing to the left, "that's trouble."

"A monster?" Thalia asked.

Grover looked uneasy. "I don't smell anything, which doesn't make sense. But the acorns don't lie. Our next challenge…"

He pointed straight toward the junkyard. With the sunlight almost gone now, the hills of metal looked like something on an alien planet.

 _Oh, wonderful._

We decided to camp for the night and try the junkyard in the morning. None of us wanted to go dumpster-diving in the dark. Zoe produced five sleeping bags and foam mattresses out of her backpack.

The night got chilly fast, so Grover and Percy collected old boards from the ruined house, and Thalia zapped them with an electric shock to start a campfire. Pretty soon we were about as comfy as you can get in a rundown ghost town in the middle of nowhere.

"The stars are out," Zoe said. She was right. There were millions of them, with no city lights to turn the sky orange.

"Amazing," I said. "I've always loved stars."

"This is nothing," Zoe said. "In the old days, there were more. Whole constellations have disappeared because of human light pollution."

"You talk like you're not human," Percy said.

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "I am a Hunter. I care what happens to the wild places of the world. Can the same be said for thee?"

"For _you_ ," Thalia corrected. "Not _thee_ "

"But you use 'you' for the beginning of a sentence."

"And for the end," Thalia said. "No 'thou'. No 'thee'. Just 'you'."

Zoe threw up her hands in exasperation. "I hate this language. It changes too often!"

Grover sighed. He was still looking up at the stars like he was thinking about the light pollution problem. "If only Pan were here, he would set things right."

Zoe nodded sadly.

"Maybe it was the coffee," Grover said. "I was drinking coffee, and the wind came. Maybe if I drank more coffee…"

I wasn't sure coffee had nothing to do with what had happened in Cloudcroft, but I didn't have the heart to tell Grover.

"Grover," Percy said, "do you really think that was Pan? I mean, I know you want it to be."

"He sent us help," Grover insisted. "I don't know how or why. But it was his presence. After this quest is done, I'm going back to New Mexico and drinking a lot of coffee. It's the best lead we've gotten in two thousand years. I was _so_ _close_."

He didn't answer. Nobody did for a long while. After a long silence I said, "Guys, I have something to tell you. About Nico and Bianca."

"You mean that they stayed at the Lotus Hotel?" Percy said. All three of us exchanged a look. "Yeah, Grover told me."

"What's the Lotus Hotel?" Thalia asked.

"A hotel in Las Vegas," Percy explained. "Time's different there. Make's days feel like hours."

"I met Bianca and Nico when we were there," I said.

"You did?" Zoe asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. They looked practically the same as before. But…I've been thinking…"

"That is dangerous."

I looked at her without the annoyance or possible anger she might have had. I was deadly serious. "I mean it. They looked _familiar._ You didn't see it?"

They looked at me. "What do you mean?"

"Dark hair, dark eyes. Powerful auras, powerful enough to warrant a full-on rescue mission. Hidden away for Zeus-knows-how-long and released just in time for the Titans to begin to rise." I looked at Thalia and Percy. "You guys know where I'm going?"

"Gods," Thalia breathed.

"You don't mean…" Percy said.

I nodded. "I think Bianca and Nico are children of Ha—"

We were hit with a blazing light from down the road. The headlights of a car appeared out of nowhere. I was half hoping it was Apollo, come to give us a ride again, but the engine was way too silent for the sun chariot, and besides, it was nighttime. We grabbed our sleeping bags and got out of the way as a deathly white limousine slid to a stop in front of us.

The car door opened, and a sword slid under Percy's chin. Zoe and I drew our bows, Thalia readied her spear, and Grover clutched his pipes. The sword began to push, forcing Percy back. The big man holding it stepped out, and I swallowed a curse.

Dressed in biking leathers and a pair of black shades was the ugliest man I had ever seen, face covered in scars and scratches.

The man smiled cruelly. "Not so fast now, are you, punk?"

"Ares," Percy growled.

The war god glanced at us. "At ease, people." He snapped his fingers, and our weapons fell to the ground.

"This is a friendly meeting." He dug the point of his blade a little farther under Percy's chin. "Of course, I'd like to take your head for a trophy, but someone wants to see you. And I never behead my enemies in front of a lady."

"What lady?" Thalia asked.

Ares looked over at her. "Well, well. I heard you were back." He lowered his sword and pushed Percy away. "Thalia, daughter of Zeus," Ares mused. "You're not hanging out with very good company."

"What's your business, Ares?" she said. "Who's in the car?"

Ares smiled, enjoying the attention. "Oh, I doubt she wants to meet the rest of you. Particularly not her. He jutted his chin toward Zoe. Then he looked at me. "Well, well, well. I knew there was something different about you, kid, but I never figured you were Arty's whelp."

"And I never figured you'd show your face around us again, but I guess you have more brawn than brain."

He jammed his sword into the dirt. "My lady's been _dying_ to meet you. Be grateful for that, or I'd kill you where you stand."

"You got beat by a barely-trained fourteen-year-old, Ares. I'll take my chances with you."

He threw back his head and laughed. "You got guts, I'll give you that. But a little respect goes a long way. Rest of you, go get some tacos while you wait. Only take Percy and the pup a few minutes."

"We will not leave them alone with thee, Lord Ares," Zoe said.

"Besides," Grover managed, "the taco place is closed."

Ares snapped his fingers again. The lights inside the taqueria suddenly blazed to life. The boards flew off the door and the CLOSED sign flipped to OPEN. "You were saying, goat boy?"

"Go on," Percy said. "We'll handle this."

Thalia gave me a look. "Go," I said, pointing with my chin. "We'll be fine."

"You heard 'em," Ares said. "They're big boys, they can handle their own."

Our friends reluctantly headed over to the taco restaurant. Ares regarded Percy with loathing, then opened the limousine door like a chauffeur.

"Get inside, punk," he said. "And mind your manners. She's not as forgiving of rudeness as I am."

Percy gave me a look and slipped inside the limo, leaving me alone with the war god. We stood in silence for a bit before I pulled out a knife. "Got a whetstone?" He gave me a look. "Gotta keep my equipment sharp. When he didn't respond I shrugged and said, "I think I have one."

I did. The next few minutes were filled with the _scrape, scrape, scrape_ of metal on stone. Until finally Ares reached into the limo and pulled Percy out.

You're lucky, punk." Ares pushed him away from the limo. "Be grateful."

"For what?"

"That we're being so nice. If it was up to me—"

"So why haven't you killed me?" he shot back.

"I'd love to kill you, seriously," he said. "But see, I got a situation. Word on Olympus is that you might start the biggest war in history. I can't risk messing that up. Besides, Aphrodite thinks you're some kinda soap-opera star or something. I kill you, that makes me look bad with her. But don't worry. I haven't forgotten my promise. Someday soon, kid—real soon—you're going to raise your sword to fight, and you're going to remember the wrath of Ares."

Percy balled his fists. "Why wait? I beat you once. How's that ankle healing up?"

He grinned crookedly. "Not bad, punk. But you got nothing on the master of taunts. I'll start the fight when I'm good and ready. Until then…Get lost." He turned to me. "Your turn, kid."

I moved past him, slipped my knife into my boot, and went into the limo.

My breath hitched. Sitting across from me was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen—long dark hair, crystal blue eyes, perfect makeup. She was wearing a red satin dress and heels. Her gloss-covered lips were pulled back into a seductive smile. She looked like Anna. Or Thalia, if she ever decided to wear makeup.

I swallowed. "Lady Aphrodite."

The goddess smiled. "I'm glad to see at least _you_ know manners, Hunter. I'm Aphrodite."

"I…I figured." I swallowed. _She's just a lady. A very beautiful lady, sure, but a lady nonetheless._

"And do you know why you're here?"

I took a breath. "Clearly you were dying for my company, yes?"

She tittered. "Manners _and_ a sense of humor? Are you sure Artemis claimed the right one, because I can't see a single similarity the two of you share."

"Clearly you haven't seen me with a bow."

She scoffed. "Please, let's keep the talk of weapons and all that outside. Those were always my boyfriend's hobbies."

 _Which boyfriend?_ I thought. _You've had so many._ "Of course."

"You are here," Aphrodite said, pursing her lips, "because I want to know what you're doing on this quest."

"I'm here to rescue Artemis."

The goddess rolled her eyes. "Hunter, darling, we _both_ know that's a lie." She leaned forward. "I've been doing some research, and it seems to me like you and Artemis are about as close as Heracles and Hera. Tell me—why are you really here?"

I thought a moment. "I'm looking for your daughter."

She blinked. Then sighed. "Anna…my girl…"

"She's serving Luke."

"And you're here to take her back?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

That confused me. "What do you mean, 'Why'? She's my friend."

She leaned back. "You don't travel hundreds of miles and face countless dangers along the way for a _friend._ What's your relationship to my daughter?"

"Why do you care?" I suddenly asked. A strange courage was on me. "Not like you're concerned for her safety or anything. If you were you would've stopped her father from turning her into his personal punching bag. You know, for as different as you and Artemis are, you have one thing in common: you're both terrible mothers."

Aphrodite's eyes blazed. "You're lucky Olympian law prevents me from killing you. There are, however, _alternatives_ to that. Remember that."

"Oh, I will."

"As for the reason I care," she said. "I still love her, misguided as she may be. If you should see my beloved Annabelle, please tell her that I am sorry. Can you do that for me?"

I considered refusing her, but thought better of it. Aphrodite was not a goddess to be messed with. "I will do my best, Lady Aphrodite. Will that be all?"

"Yes, you may go." I opened the door and stepped out when her voice called, "Oh, and, Hunter?"

I turned. "Yes?"

"If you try and pursue a relationship with any of my daughters, I'll geld you myself."

Ares slammed the door behind me. "All right, enough wasting the lady's time."

He snapped his fingers and the world did a three-sixty, spinning in a cloud of red dust. I fell to the ground. When I stood up again, the limousine was gone. The road, the taco restaurant, the whole town of Gila Claw was gone. My friends and I were standing in the middle of the junkyard, mountains of scrap metal stretched out in every direction.

I turned to Percy "What did Aphrodite want with you?"

"Oh, uh, not sure," he said. "She said to be careful in her husband's junkyard. She said not to pick anything up."

Zoe narrowed her eyes. "The goddess of love would not make a special trip to tell thee that. Be careful, Percy. Aphrodite has led many heroes astray."

"For once I agree with Zoe," Thalia said. "You can't trust Aphrodite."

Grover was looking at him strangely. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but knowing Grover, he was probably just bummed he didn't get to meet Aphrodite himself.

"So," Percy said, "how do we get out of here?"

"That way," Zoe said. "That is west."

"How can you tell?"

In the light of the full moon, I could see her roll her eyes. "Ursa Major is in the north," she said, "which means that must be west."

She pointed west, then at the northern constellation, which was hard to make out because there were so many other stars.

"Oh, yeah," Percy said. "The bear thing."

Zoe looked offended. "Show some respect. It was a fine bear. A worthy opponent."

"You act like it was real."

"Guys," Grover broke in. "Look!"

We'd reached the crest of a junk mountain. Piles of metal objects glinted in the moonlight: broken heads of bronze horses, metal legs from human statues, smashed chariots, tons of shields and swords and other weapons, along with more modern stuff, like cars that gleamed gold and silver, refrigerators, washing machines, and computer monitors.

"Whoa," I said. "That stuff…some of it looks like real gold."

"It is," Thalia said grimly. "Like Percy said, don't touch anything. This is the junkyard of the gods."

" _Junk_?" Grover picked up a beautiful crown made of gold, silver, and jewels. It was broken on one side, as if it had been split by an axe. "You call this _junk_?" He bit off a point and began to chew. "It's delicious!"

Thalia swatted the crown out of his hands. "I'm serious!"

"Stop, Grover," I said. "We touch nothing, like Aphrodite said. Time is of the essence; we can't get distracted by _trinkets_."

Grover looked hurt, but he didn't touch anything. We moved through the graveyard quickly, careful not to activate any traps.

-o-

At the edge of the dump, we found a tow truck so old it might've been thrown away itself. But the engine started, and it had a full tank of gas, so we decided to borrow it. Thalia drove.

"The skeletons are still out there," she reminded us. "Let's get moving."

She navigated us through the desert, under clear blue skies, the sand so bright it hurt to look at. Zoe sat up front with Thalia. Grover, Percy, and I sat in the pickup bed, leaning against the tow wench. The air was cool and dry, a nice change of pace from the frozen wilderness we'd encountered before.

"You're sure?" Percy asked. "You really think the di Angelos—"

"Seventy, eighty percent," I said back. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed anything familiar about them."

"Yeah, but I wasn't sure…"

"This is really bad," Grover said, fidgeting. "If they're really…"

He was shaking now, eyes darting back and forth like someone might jump out and attack. Ever since the incident with the boar he'd been jumpy. As annoying and cowardly as he was, I was worried for him.

"It could prove troubling. I mean, if Kronos or Luke got to them—"

"—they could turn them, use them," Percy finished.

I nodded. "We need to keep them safe. I have Jay and Melony keeping an eye on them for the time being, but they don't leave your sight once you get back."

"'We' get back," Percy said. "Once 'we' get back."

I nodded, if only to humor him. _Your part to play in this is fast approaching._ The prophecy still rung in my head, and Orion had added another factor I hadn't considered; if he should run into us again, he might be the one to strike the final blow. I decided not to dwell on that.

The tow truck ran out of gas at the edge of a river canyon. That was just as well, because the road dead-ended. Thalia got out and slammed the door. Immediately, one of the tires blew. "Great. What now?"

I scanned the horizon. There wasn't much to see. Desert in all directions, occasional clumps of barren mountains plopped here and there. The canyon was the only thing interesting. The river itself wasn't very big, maybe fifty yards across, green water with a few rapids, but it carved a huge scar out of the desert. The rock cliffs dropped away below us.

"There's a path," Grover said. "We could get to the river."

I tried to see what he was talking about, and finally noticed a tiny ledge winding down the cliff face. "That's a goat path," I said.

"So?" he asked.

"The rest of us aren't goats," Percy pointed out.

"We can make it," Grover said. "I think."

I heard Thalia gulp, and saw her pale. _Why is she so nervous?_

"No," Percy said. "I, uh, think we should go farther upstream."

Grover said, "But—"

"Come on. A walk won't hurt us."

We followed the river about half a mile before coming to an easier slope that led down to the water. On the shore was a canoe rental operation that was closed for the season, but Percy left a stack of golden drachmas on the counter and a note saying _IOU two canoes_.

"We need to go upstream," Zoe said. "The rapids are too swift."

"Leave that to me," Percy said. We slid the canoes to the water.

Thalia pulled Percy aside, leaving Zoe alone with Grover and me. "Hey," I said. "How are you holding up?"

He twitched, like he was going through caffeine withdrawal. "Fine. Why do you ask?"

"You've seemed…out of it, since New Mexico. I didn't freak you out with the boar, did I?"

"Yeah, you did. That stuff, Hunter, that stuff you can do…it's _wrong._ Suppressing another living thing's mind…abomination."

I wanted to punch him in the mouth and knock his teeth out, but I suppressed that urge. "I'm sorry. I panicked. I won't do it again." _At least while you're around._

He actually looked relieved. "Really? You mean it? Thank you."

I nodded. "No problem."

"They'll take us upstream," Percy announced.

"Great!" I said. "Who goes with who?"

"I'm with you," Thalia said. "Percy can take Zoe."

"But what about me?" Grover asked.

"You can ride with us," I said. I shot Thalia an _I'm sorry_ look, but she just shrugged and got in the canoe. Once we were all set the naiads took off, pulling us so quickly Grover fell back.

As we were riding Grover and I told Thalia about what we'd discussed in the truck.

"If you're right," she said, "we need to tell Chiron."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"He'll be able to keep them safe better than us."

"He could also tell the Olympians. If Zeus and Poseidon find out, the di Angelos are as good as dead."

She nodded. "We'll need to keep them under constant supervision. Their kind has never been accepted by Camp Half-Blood. It could get dicey if their secret gets out."

"We'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen," I said.

The cliffs along the river were getting taller. Long shadows fell across the water, making it a lot colder, even though the day was bright. The canoe started slowing down.

I looked ahead and saw why.

This was as far as we could go. The river was blocked. A dam the size of a football stadium stood in our path.

"Hoover Dam," Thalia said. "It's huge."

We stood at the river's edge, looking up at a curve of concrete that loomed between the cliffs. People were walking along the top of the dam. They were so tiny they looked like fleas.

"Seven hundred feet tall," Percy said. "Built in the 1930s."

"Five million cubic acres of water," Thalia said.

Graver sighed. "Largest construction project in the United States."

"Dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt," I said.

Zoe stared at us. "How do you know all that?"

"Annabeth," Percy said. "She liked architecture."

"She was nuts about monuments," Thalia said.

"Spouted facts all the time." Grover sniffled. "So annoying."

"Infuriating," I said. _Your fault. You should have been faster._

"I wish she were here," Percy said.

We nodded. Zoe was still looking at us strangely, but that didn't matter. It seemed cruel that we'd come to Hoover Dam, one of Annabeth's personal favorites, and she wasn't here to see it.

"We should go up there," Percy said. "For her sake. Just to say we've been."

"You are mad," Zoe decided. "But that's where the road is." She pointed to a huge parking garage next to the top of the dam. "And so, sightseeing it is."

We had to walk for almost an hour before we found a path that led up to the road. It came up on the east side of the river. Then we straggled back toward the dam. It was cold and windy on top. On one side, a big lake spread out, ringed by barren desert mountains. On the other side, the dam dropped away like the world's most dangerous skateboard ramp, down to the river seven hundred feet below, and water that churned from the dam's vents.

Thalia walked in the middle of the road, far away from the edges. Grover kept sniffing the wind and looking nervous. He didn't say anything, but it was obvious he smelled monsters.

"How close are they?" Percy asked him.

He shook his head. "Maybe not close. The wind on the dam, the desert all around us…the scent can probably carry for miles. But it's coming from several directions. I don't like that."

I didn't either. It was already Wednesday, only two days until winter solstice, and we still had a long way to go. We didn't need any more monsters.

"There's a snack bar in the visitor center," Thalia said.

"You've been here before?" Percy asked.

"Once. To see the guardians." She pointed to the far end of the dam. Carved into the side of the cliff was a little plaza with two big bronze statues. They looked kind of like Oscar statues with wings.

"They were dedicated to Zeus when the dam was built," Thalia said. "A gift from Athena."

Tourists were clustered all around them. They seemed to be looking at the statues' feet. "What are they doing?" I asked.

"Rubbing the toes," Thalia said. "They think it's good luck."

"Why?"

She shook her head. "Mortals get crazy ideas. They don't know the statues are sacred to Zeus, but they know there's something special about them."

"When you were here last, did they talk to you or anything?" Percy asked.

Thalia's expression darkened. She'd probably come to feel some connection to her father Zeus. "No. They don't do anything. They're just big metal statues."

"Let us find the dam snack bar," Zoe said. "We should eat while we can."

Grover cracked a smile. "The dam snack bar?"

Zoe blinked. "Yes. What is funny?"

"Nothing," Grover said, trying to keep a straight face. "I could use some dam French fries."

Even Thalia smiled at that. "And I need to use the dam restroom."

I started laughing. "Some dam sodas would be nice."

Percy, Thalia, and Grover joined in, while Zoe just looked at us. "I do not understand."

"I want to use the dam water fountain," Grover said.

"And…" Thalia tried to catch her breath. "I want to buy a dam T-shirt."

Percy paled suddenly, and Grover said, "Did I just hear a cow?"

"A dam cow?" Thalia laughed.

"No," Grover said. "I'm serious."

Zoe listened. "I hear nothing."

Thalia was looking around. "Percy, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said. "You guys go ahead. I'll be right in."

"What's wrong?" Grover asked.

"Nothing, I…I just need a minute. To think."

We hesitated, but went inside. We didn't stop to enjoy the architecture, which Annabeth would probably have flipped over, but we weren't here for that. Instead we went to find a map of the layout. Once we found the directions to the cafeteria we headed right there as fast as we could.

We ordered half a dozen burritos and were just sitting down when Percy burst through the door, panting.

We need to leave," he gasped. "Now!"

"But we just got our burritos!" Thalia said.

Zoe stood up, muttering an Ancient Greek curse. "He's right! Look."

The cafe windows wrapped all the way around the observation floor, which gave us a beautiful panoramic view of the skeletal army that had come to kill us.

I counted two on the east side of the road, blocking the way to Arizona. Three more on the west side, guarding Nevada. All of them were armed with batons and pistols.

But our immediate problem was a lot closer. The three skeletal warriors who'd been chasing Percy appeared on the stairs. They saw us from across the cafeteria and clattered their teeth.

"Elevator!" Grover said. We bolted that direction, but the doors opened with a pleasant ding, and three more warriors stepped out. Every warrior was accounted for. We were completely surrounded.

Then Grover had a brilliant, totally Grover-like idea.

"Burrito fight!" he yelled, and flung his Guacamole Grande at the nearest skeleton.

Grover's lunch hit the skeleton and knocked his skull clean off his shoulders. I'm not sure what the other kids in the cafe saw, but they went crazy and started throwing their burritos and baskets of chips and sodas at each other, shrieking and screaming. The skeletons tried to aim their guns, but it was hopeless. Bodies and food and drinks were flying everywhere.

In the chaos, Thalia and Percy tackled the other two skeletons on the stairs and sent them flying into the condiment table. Then we all raced downstairs, Guacamole Grandes whizzing past our heads.

"What now?" Grover asked as we burst outside.

Nobody answered. The warriors on the road were closing in from either direction.

We ran across the street to the pavilion with the winged bronze statues, but that just put our backs to the mountain.

The skeletons moved forward, forming a crescent around us. Their brethren from the cafe were running up to join them. One was still putting its skull back on its shoulders.

Another was covered in ketchup and mustard. Two more had burritos lodged in their rib cages. They didn't look happy about it. They drew batons and advanced.

"Five against twelve," Zoe muttered. "And they cannot die."

"It's been nice adventuring with you guys," Grover said, his voice trembling.

"Whoa," Percy suddenly said. "Their toes really are bright."

"Percy!" Thalia said. "This isn't the time."

"Thalia," he said. "Pray to your dad."

She glared at him. "He never answers."

"Just this once," he pleaded. "Ask for help. I think… I think the statues can give us some luck."

Six skeletons raised their guns. The other six came forward with batons. Fifty feet away. Forty feet.

"Do it!" he yelled.

"No!" Thalia said. "He won't answer me."

"This time is different!"

"Who says?"

He hesitated. "Athena, I think."

I blinked. _Athena? What was she doing here?_

"Try it," Grover pleaded.

Thalia closed her eyes. Her lips moved in a silent prayer.

And nothing happened.

The skeletons closed in. I drew my daggers from my boot and waist. Thalia held up her shield.

Zoe pushed Grover behind her and aimed an arrow at a skeleton's head.

A shadow fell over me. I was confused, then realized it was the shadow of an enormous wing. The skeletons looked up too late. A flash of bronze, and all six of the baton-wielders were swept aside.

The other skeletons opened fire. The bronze angels stepped in front of us and folded their wings like shields. Bullets pinged off of them like rain off a corrugated roof. Both angels slashed outward, and the skeletons went flying across the road.

"Man, it feels good to stand up!" the first angel said. His voice sounded tinny and rusty, like he hadn't had a drink since he'd been built.

"Will ya look at my toes?" the other said. "Holy Zeus, what were those tourists thinking?"

As stunned as I was by the angels, I was more concerned with the skeletons. A few of them were getting up again, reassembling, bony hands groping for their weapons.

"Trouble!" Percy said.

"Get us out of here!" Thalia yelled.

Both angels looked down at her. "Zeus's kid?"

"Yes!"

"Could I get a please, Miss Zeus's Kid?" an angel asked.

"Please!"

The angels looked at each other and shrugged.

"Could use a stretch," one decided. And the next thing I knew, one of them grabbed Thalia and Percy, the other grabbed Zoe and Grover and me, and we flew straight up, over the dam and the river, the skeleton warriors shrinking to tiny specks below us and the sound of gunfire echoing off the sides of the mountains.

-o-

"We are in the Sierras.'" Zoe yelled after a while. "I have hunted here before. At this speed, we should be in San Francisco in a few hours."

"Hey, hey, Frisco!" our angel said. "Yo, Chuck! We could visit those guys at the Mechanics Monument again! They know how to party!"

"Oh, man," the other angel said. "I am _so_ there!"

"You guys have visited San Francisco?" Percy asked.

"We automatons gotta have some fun once in a while, right?" our statue said. "Those mechanics took us over to the de Young Museum and introduced us to these marble lady statues, see. And—"

"Hank!" the other statue cut in. "They're kids, man."

"Oh, right." If bronze statues could blush, I swear Hank did. "Back to flying."

We sped up, so I could tell the angels were excited. The mountains fell away into hills, and then we were zipping along over farmland and towns and highways. Grover played his pipes to pass the time. Zoe got bored and started shooting arrows at random billboards as we flew by. Every time she saw a Target department store—and we passed dozens of them—she would peg the store's sign with a few bulls-eyes at a hundred miles an hour. Percy and Thalia talked quietly, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. Thalia's eyes were clamped shut. _What's wrong with her? Doesn't she want to see this?_

We continued flying for a few more hours. I'm pretty sure Percy dozed off, but I couldn't sleep. _Your part to play in this is fast approaching._ I shook my head. _I'll be fine,_ I told myself. I closed my eyes and tried to leave my body, to see if I could enter Winter from such a distance, but it was no good. Guess I needed to be closer. I spent the next few hours just staring ahead, until I saw San Francisco below us.

It was probably the most beautiful city I'd ever seen: kind of like a smaller, cleaner Manhattan, if Manhattan had been surrounded by green hills and fog. There was a huge bay and ships, islands and sailboats, and the Golden Gate Bridge sticking up out of the fog.

"Where do you want us to land?" Hank asked.

"There," Zoe suggested. "By the Embarcadero Building."

"Good thinking," Chuck said. " Me and Hank can blend in with the pigeons."

We all looked at him.

"Kidding," he said. "Sheesh, can't statues have a sense of humor?"

As it turned out, there wasn't much need to blend in. It was early morning and not many people were around. We freaked out a homeless guy on the ferry dock when we landed. He screamed when he saw Hank and Chuck and ran off yelling something about metal angels from said our good-byes to the angels, who flew off to party with their statue friends.

 _Now what?_

We'd made it to the West Coast. Artemis was here somewhere. Annabeth too. But _where_? The monster Artemis was after, also. Wasn't it supposed to find _us_? After a brief discussion, we agreed that we needed to figure out just what this mystery monster was.

"But how?" Percy asked.

"Nereus," Grover said.

"What?"

"Isn't that what Apollo told you to do? Find Nereus?"

He nodded. "The Old Man of the Sea," he said. "I'm supposed to find him and force him to tell us what he knows. But how do I find him?"

Zoe made a face. "Old Nereus, eh?"

"You know him?" Thalia asked.

"My mother was a sea goddess. Yes, I know him. Unfortunately, he is never very hard to find. Just follow the smell."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Come," she said without enthusiasm. "I will show thee."

Zoe took us to a Goodwill box and outfitted Percy with in a ragged flannel shirt and jeans three sizes too big, bright red sneakers, and a floppy rainbow hat.

I smirked. "Looking good. Super incognito."

"Oh, yeah," Grover said, trying not to bust out laughing, "you look completely inconspicuous now."

Zoe nodded with satisfaction. "A typical male vagrant."

"Thanks a lot," Percy grumbled. "Why am I doing this again?"

"I told thee. To blend in."

She led the way back down to the waterfront. After a long time spent searching the docks, Zoe finally stopped in her tracks. She pointed down a pier where a bunch of homeless guys were huddled together in blankets, waiting for the soup kitchen to open for lunch.

"He will be down there somewhere," Zoe said. "He never travels very far from the water. He likes to sun himself during the day."

"How do I know which one is him?"

"Sneak up," she said. "Act homeless. You will know him. He will smell… different."

"Great. And once I find him?"

"Grab him," she said. "And hold on. He will try anything to get rid of thee. Whatever he does, do not let go. Force him to tell thee about the monster."

"We've got your back," Thalia said. She picked something off the back of his shirt—a big clump of fuzz that came from who-knows-where. "Eww. On second thought… I don't want your back. But we'll be rooting for you."

Grover gave hm a big thumbs-up. I put on one of my winning smiles. Percy mumbled something about friends and headed down the dock, stumbling like he was about to pass out. _Oh, if only I had a camera._ He passed by a few homeless people that reacted aggressively, but he moved on quickly enough.

"Do you know which one Nereus is?" I asked Zoe.

She shook her head. "No, but I do know he is over there. Percy will need to figure it out on his own."

And he did, because twenty seconds later he jumped a guy that looked just like homeless Santa Claus. The rolled around, trying to grab each other. "Help me!" the old man screamed.

That's a crime!" one of the other homeless guys yelled. "Kid rolling an old man like that!"

They flopped around some more, until they both rolled off the dock and plunged into the water.

"Did they just—?"

"Oh, yeah," Grover said.

"Wonderful."

A second later a giant killer whale jumped out of the water, Percy Jackson on its back. He gave us a quick wave before he went back under. It was another minute or two before the two of them re-emerged, climbing tiredly onto a nearby boat dock. We ran to them.

Nereus was panting and gasping, but Percy looked fine. He'd lost his hat, but the rest of Zoe's clothes were still hanging on.

"You got him!" Zoe said.

"You don't have to sound so amazed," Percy said.

Nereus moaned. "Oh, wonderful. An audience for my humiliation! The normal deal, I suppose? You'll let me go if I answer your question?"

"I've got more than one question," Percy said.

"Only one question per capture! That's the rule."

Percy looked up at us. After a mental debate with himself, he asked, "All right, Nereus. Tell me where to find this terrible monster that could bring an end to the gods. The one Artemis was hunting."

The Old Man of the Sea smiled, showing off his mossy green teeth.

"Oh, that's too easy," he said evilly. "He's right there."

Nereus pointed to the water.

"Where?" Percy said.

"The deal is complete!" Nereus gloated. With a pop, he turned into a goldfish and did a backflip into the sea.

"You tricked me!" Perch yelled.

"Wait." Thalia's eyes widened. "What is that…?"

"MOOOOOOOO!"

I blinked, then looked down. Some weird hybrid of a snake and cow was in the water by us, treading. "What in Tartarus is _that_?"

"Ah, Bessie," Percy said. "Not now."

"Mooo!"

Grover gasped. "He says his name isn't Bessie."

"You can understand her…er, him?"

Grover nodded. "It's a very old form of animal speech. But he says his name is the Ophiotaurus."

"The Ophi-what?"

"It means serpent bull in Greek," Thalia said. "But what's it doing here?"

"Moooooooo!"

"He says Percy is his protector," Grover announced. "And he's running from the bad people. He says they are close."

"Wait," Zoe said, looking at Percy. "You know this cow?"

"Yeah," Percy said. He told us the story of how he'd saved it a while back, and how it'd been following him since.

Thalia shook her head in disbelief. "And you just forgot to mention this before?"

"Well…yeah." He looked embarrassed.

"I am a fool," Zoe said suddenly. "I know this story!"

"What story?"

"From the War of the Titans," she said. "My…my father told me this tale, thousands of years ago. This is the beast we are looking for."

"Bessie?" He looked down at the bull serpent. "But…he's too cute. He couldn't destroy the world."

 _You are a fool if you think appearances are everything, Percy._

"That is how we were wrong," Zoe said. "We've been anticipating a huge dangerous monster, but the Ophiotaurus does not bring down the gods that way. He must be sacrificed."

"MMMM," Bessie lowed.

"I don't think he likes the S-word," Grover said.

Percy patted the trembling sea cow on the nose. "How could anyone hurt him?" he said. "He's harmless."

Zoe nodded. "But there is power in killing innocence. Terrible power. The Fates ordained a prophecy eons ago, when this creature was born. They said that whoever killed the Ophiotaurus and sacrificed its entrails to fire would have the power to destroy the gods."

"MMMMMM!"

"Um," Grover said. "Maybe we could avoid talking about entrails, too."

Thalia stared at the cow serpent with wonder. "The power to destroy the gods…how? I mean, what would happen?"

"No one knows," Zoe said. "The first time, during the Titan war, the Ophiotaurus was in fact slain by a giant ally of the Titans, but thy father, Zeus, sent an eagle to snatch the entrails away before they could be tossed into the fire. It was a close call. Now, after three thousand years, the Ophiotaurus is reborn."

Thalia sat down on the dock. She stretched out her hand. The cow went right to her. Thalia placed her hand on his head. The cow shivered. Thalia's expression bothered me. She almost looked…hungry. I put a hand on her shoulder and drew her back to her feet.

"We have to protect him," Percy said. "If Luke gets hold of him—"

"Luke wouldn't hesitate," Thalia muttered. "The power to overthrow Olympus. That's…that's huge."

"Yes, it is, my dear," said a man's voice in a heavy French accent. "And it is a power _you_ shall unleash."

The Ophiotaurus made a whimpering sound and submerged.

I looked up. We'd been so busy talking, we'd allowed ourselves to be ambushed. Standing behind us, his two-color eyes gleaming wickedly, was Dr. Thorn, the manticore himself.

"This is just pairrr-fect," the manticore gloated.

He was wearing a ratty black trench coat over his Westover Hall uniform, which was torn and stained. His military haircut had grown out spiky and greasy. He hadn't shaved recently, so his face was covered in silver stubble. "Long ago, the gods banished me to Persia," the manticore said. "I was forced to scrounge for food on the edges of the world, hiding in forests, devouring insignificant human farmers for my meals. I never got to fight any great heroes. I was not feared and admired in the old stories! But now that will change. The Titans shall honor me, and I shall feast on the flesh of half-bloods!"

On either side of him stood two armed security guys; mortals, by the looks of them. Two more stood on the next boat dock over, just in case we tried to escape that way. There were tourists all around—walking down the waterfront, shopping at the pier above us—but I doubted that would stop the manticore from acting.

"Where…where are the skeletons?" Percy asked.

Thorn sneered. "I do not need those foolish undead! The General thinks I am worthless? He will change his mind when I defeat you myself!"

"We beat you once before," Percy said.

"Ha! You could barely fight me with a goddess on your side. And, alas…that goddess is preoccupied at the moment. There will be no help for you now."

Zoe notched an arrow and aimed it straight at the manticore's head. The guards on either side of us raised their guns.

"Wait!" Percy said. "Zoe, don't!"

The manticore smiled. "The boy is right, Zoe Nightshade. Put away your bow. It would be a shame to kill you before you witnessed Thalia's great victory."

"What are you talking about?" Thalia growled. She had her shield and spear ready.

"Surely it is clear," the manticore said. "This is your moment. This is why Lord Kronos brought you back to life. You will sacrifice the Ophiotaurus. You will bring its entrails to the sacred fire on the mountain. You will gain unlimited power. And for your sixteenth birthday, you will overthrow Olympus."

No one spoke. It made terrible sense. Thalia was only two days away from turning sixteen. She was a child of the Big Three. And here was a choice, a terrible choice that could mean the end of the gods. It was just like the prophecy said. Doomsday was happening right now.

I waited for Thalia to tell the manticore off, but she hesitated. She looked completely stunned.

"You know it is the right choice," the manticore told her. "Your friend Luke recognized it. You shall be reunited with him. You shall rule this world together under the auspices of the Titans. Your father abandoned you, Thalia. He cares nothing for you. And now you shall gain power over him. Crush the Olympians underfoot, as they deserve. Call the beast! It will come to you. Use your spear."

"Thalia," I said, "snap out of it!"

She looked dazed and uncertain. It was almost like she didn't know me. "I…I don't—"

"Your father helped you," Percy said. "He sent the metal angels. He turned you into a tree to preserve you." Her hand tightened on the shaft of her spear.

Grover pulled out his pipes and began to play.

The manticore yelled, "Stop him!"

The guards had been targeting Zoe, and before they could figure out that the kid with the pipes was the bigger problem, the wooden planks at their feet sprouted new branches and tangled their legs. Zoe let loose two quick arrows that exploded at their feet in clouds of sulfurous yellow smoke. Fart arrows! The guards started coughing. Percy deflected a volley of spines off his lion coat.

"Grover," he said, "tell Bessie to dive deep and stay down!"

"Moooooo!"Grover translated.

"The cow…" Thalia muttered, still in a daze.

"Come on!" I pulled her along as we ran up the stairs to the shopping center on the pier. We dashed around the corner of the nearest store. I heard the manticore shouting at his minions, "Get them!" Tourists screamed as the guards shot blindly into the air.

We scrambled to the end of the pier. We hid behind a little kiosk filled with souvenir crystals—wind chimes and dream catchers and stuff like that, glittering in the sunlight. There was a water fountain next to us. Down below, a bunch of sea lions were sunning themselves on the rocks. The whole of San Francisco Bay spread out before us: the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the green hills and fog beyond that to the north. A picture-perfect moment, except for the fact that we were about to die and the world was going to end.

"Go over the side!" Zoe said. "You can escape in the sea, Percy. Call on thy father for help. Maybe you can save the Ophiotaurus."

"I won't leave you guys," I said. "We fight together."

"You have to get word to camp!" Grover said. "At least let them know what's going on!"

Suddenly he took notice of the wind chimes. They were making a sort of rainbow in the morning mist. "Get word to camp," Percy muttered. "Good idea." He uncapped Riptide and slashed off the top of the water fountain. Water burst out of the busted pipe and sprayed all over us.

Thalia gasped as the water hit her. The fog seemed to clear from her eyes. "Are you crazy?" she asked.

But Grover understood. He was already fishing around in his pockets for a coin. He threw a golden drachma into the rainbows created by the mist and yelled, "O goddess, accept my offering!" The mist rippled.

"Camp Half-Blood!" Percy said.

And there, shimmering in the Mist right next to us, was Mr. D, wearing his leopard-skin jogging suit and rummaging through the refrigerator.

He looked up lazily. "Do you mind?"

"Where's Chiron!" Percy shouted.

"How rude." Mr. D took a swig from a jug of grape juice. "Is that how you say hello?"

"Hello," he amended. "We're about to die! Where's Chiron?"

Mr. D considered that. I wanted to throttle him, but I kept myself calm. Behind us, footsteps and shouting—the manticore's troops were closing in.

"About to die," Mr. D mused. "How exciting. I'm afraid Chiron isn't here. Would you like me to take a message?"

Percy looked back at us. "We're dead."

Thalia gripped her spear. She looked like her old angry self again. "Then we'll die fighting."

"How noble," Mr. D said, stifling a yawn. "So what is the problem, exactly?"

Looking like he wanted to scream, Percy told him about the Ophiotaurus.

"Mmm." He studied the contents of the fridge. "So that's it. I see."

"You don't even care!" Percy screamed. "You'd just as soon watch us die!"

"Let's see. I think I'm in the mood for pizza tonight."

Behind us, the manticore screamed, "There!" and we were surrounded. Two of the guards stood behind him. The other two appeared on the roofs of the pier shops above us. The manticore threw off his coat and transformed into his true self, his lion claws extended and his spiky tail bristling with poison barbs.

"Excellent," he said. He glanced at the apparition in the mist and snorted. "Alone, without any real help. Wonderful."

"You could ask for help," Mr. D murmured, as if this were an amusing thought. "You could say please."

Zoe and I readied our arrows. Grover lifted his pipes. Thalia raised her shield, and I noticed a tear running down her cheek. I wanted to comfort her, but there was no way I could. Not when we were all going to die.

"Please, Mr. D," Percy finally muttered. "Help."

Nothing happened.

The manticore grinned. "Spare the daughter of Zeus. She will join us soon enough. Kill the others."

The men raised their guns, and something strange happened. You know how you feel when all the blood rushes to your head, like if you hang upside down and turn right-side up too quickly? There was a rush like that all around me, and a sound like a huge sigh. The sunlight tinged with purple. I smelled grapes and something more sour—wine.

 _SNAP!_

I screamed and put my hands over my head. It was the sound of many minds breaking at the same time. The sound of madness. One guard put his pistol between his teeth like it was a bone and ran around on all fours. Two others dropped their guns and started waltzing with each other. The fourth began doing what looked like an Irish clogging dance. It would have been funny if it hadn't been so terrifying.

"No!" screamed the manticore. "I will deal with you myself!"

His tail bristled, but the planks under his paws erupted into grape vines, which immediately began wrapping around the monster's body, sprouting new leaves and clusters of green baby grapes that ripened in seconds as the manticore shrieked, until he was engulfed in a huge mass of vines, leaves, and full clusters of purple grapes. Finally the grapes stopped shivering, and I had a feeling that somewhere inside there, the manticore was no more.

"Well," said Dionysus, closing his refrigerator. "That was fun."

We all stared at him, horrified. "How could you…How did you—" Percy said

"Such gratitude," he muttered. "The mortals will come out of it. Too much explaining to do if I made their condition permanent. I hate writing reports to Father."

He stared resentfully at Thalia. "I hope you learned your lesson, girl. It isn't easy to resist power, is it?"

Thalia blushed as if she were ashamed.

"Mr. D," Grover said in amazement. "You…you saved us.

"Mmm. Don't make me regret it, satyr. Now get going, Percy Jackson. I've bought you a few hours at most."

"The Ophiotaurus," Percy said. "Can you get it to camp?"

Mr. D sniffed. "I do not transport livestock. That's your problem."

"But where do we go?"

Dionysus looked at Zoe. "Oh, I think the huntress knows. You must enter at sunset today, you know, or all is lost. Now good-bye. My pizza is waiting."

"Mr. D," Percy said.

He raised his eyebrow.

"You called me by my right name," I said. "You called me Percy Jackson."

"I most certainly did not, Peter Johnson. Now off with you!"

He waved his hand, and his image disappeared in the mist.

All around us, the manticore's minions were still acting completely nuts. One of them had found our friend the homeless guy, and they were having a serious conversation about metal angels from Mars.

Several other guards were harassing the tourists, making animal noises and trying to steal their shoes.

I looked at Zoe. "What did he mean …'You know where to go'?"

Her face was the color of the fog. She pointed across the bay, past the Golden Gate. In the distance, a single mountain rose up above the cloud layer.

"The garden of my sisters," she said. "I must go home."

* * *

A/N: Over ten thousand words. That's a new personal record! Anyway, tell me what you guys thought about this chapter. There should only be two or three left in this act, then we'll be moving on to The Battle of the Labyrinth. (Don't worry, Hunter won't going on that quest, he's got his _own_ thing coming.) If you're excited for that, follow and favorite, and feel free to ask questions. I'll do my best to answer them in the next chapter.

Bye!


	32. Chapter 32

VGBlackwing: …will Hunter take Artemis place to hold the World and probably get pelted by Rubber or arrow that doesn't kill but hurt like fucking hell because if Orion was given an Option "free your son or Torture Artemis by pelting Arrows at her son while he holds the world slowing breaking him" because to be honest 1/4 of the world fathers can be major dickheads and love to make the people he view annoyance suffer namely Artemis.

No, Orion won't be appearing again in this act. He was messed up pretty bad by the boar and he's still recovering. Also he wouldn't show his face when Artemis is around as he fears she—with the aid of a demigod, of course—can destroy him.

BirdFeather1837: Question: did you originally want to go with Orion being a Giant, did the thought of him commonly being made a son of Poseidon make you want to lean more towards Riordans version of him?

I always intended for Orion to be a giant, as there's really no reason for him to be _alive_ for the story to take place if he was a mortal. I will admit, the first time I read _The Blood of Olympus_ I wasn't a huge fan of him being a giant, and I absolutely _despised_ how much of a strawman misogynist he was, but I've come around to Riordan's version of him (though I'll still try to make him less of a sexist in my version, if only because I can't see Artemis making a woman-hater one of her Hunters). Though I will admit I found his mythological parentage funny, as Hunter could've told Percy "Hey, so my dad is actually your half-brother, so that makes you my uncle" and Percy's just reeling from that.

Sabert00thsa: So are we going to lose someone in the desert after the fight on the mountain?

No. The "One shall be lost in the land without rain" line referred to Phoebe, who lost her place in the quest after the Stolls (aided by Aphrodite) poisoned her shirt.

Guest: …since Bianca isn't with them will they manage to kill a skeletal guard or does Nico get rid of all of them? anyway great work and did you realize that at some points you used Percy's point of view when it was hunters?

Nico and Bianca get rid of them, confirming that their children of Hades. At that point everyone'll do their damnedest to keep it secret from the rest of Camp Half-Blood and Olympus. As for the POV thing, even though it's all in Hunter's eyes I will use the same language as Percy if certain scenes are described and with dialogue. But the entirety of this story (with the exception of a few scenes in future chapters) will be in Hunter's POV.

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Thirty-Two: Goodbyes**

"Your sisters?" I asked.

"The Hesperides," Zoe said, grim-faced.

 _The Hesperides?_ In ancient times they were the keepers of the Garden of Twilight where the apples of immortality were held. Heracles had stolen one for one of his labors. They were also the daughters of…

"Your father—"

"—is not our concern yet. We must get to the mountain first. Come." She started running down the waterfront, and we followed after her. After some time she scowled and said, "We will never make it. We are moving too slow. But we cannot leave the Ophiotaurus."

"Mooo," the cow-serpent said. He swam next to us as we ran. We were moving quickly, but we were running out of time. The sun was already dipping in the west.

"I don't get it," Percy said. "Why do we have to get there at sunset?"

"The Hesperides are the nymphs of the sunset," Zoe said. "We can only enter their garden as day changes to night."

"What happens if we miss it?"

"Tomorrow is winter solstice. If we miss sunset tonight, we would have to wait until tomorrow evening. And by then, the Olympian Council will be over. We must free Lady Artemis tonight."

"We need a car," Thalia said.

"But what about Bessie?" Percy asked.

Grover stopped in his tracks. "I've got an idea! The Ophiotaurus can appear in different bodies of water, right?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, he was in Long Island Sound. Then he just popped into the water at Hoover Dam. And now he's here."

"So maybe we could coax him back to Long Island Sound," Grover said. "Then Chiron could help us get him to Olympus."

"But he was following me. If I'm not there, would he know where he's going?"

"Moo," the serpent-cow said forlornly.

"I…I can show him," Grover said. "I'll go with him." We must have looked uncertain, because he said, "I'm the only one who can talk to him. It makes sense." He bent down and said something in the creature's ear. It shivered, then made a contented, lowing sound.

"The blessing of the Wild," Grover said. "That should help with safe passage. Percy, pray to your dad, too. See if he will grant us safe passage through the seas."

I wasn't sure if they'd be able to make it; but monsters could travel differently than demigods, so I supposed it was a possibility.

"Dad," Percy said, closing his eyes. "Help us. Get the Ophiotaurus and Grover safely to camp. Protect them at sea."

"A prayer like that needs a sacrifice," Thalia said. "Something big."

Percy considered that, then took off his Nemean lion coat.

"Percy," Grover said. "Are you sure? That lion skin…that's really helpful. Heracles used it!"

Percy and Zoe shared a look. "If I'm going to survive," he said, "it won't be because I've got a lion-skin cloak. I'm not Hercules."

He threw the coat into the bay. It turned back into a golden lion skin, flashing in the light. Then, as it began to sink beneath the waves, it seemed to dissolve into sunlight on the water. The sea breeze picked up.

Grover took a deep breath. "Well, no time to lose."

He jumped in the water and immediately began to sink. The creature glided next to him and let Grover take hold of his neck.

"Be careful," Percy told them.

"We will," Grover said. "Okay, um…Bessie? We're going to Long Island. It's east. Over that way."

"Moooo?" it said.

"Yes," Grover answered. "Long Island. It's this island. And…it's long. Oh, let's just start."

"Mooo!"

The creature lurched forward. It started to submerge and Grover said, "I can't breathe underwater! Just thought I'd mention—" They went under, and I hoped Poseidon would remember to grant them the ability to breathe underwater.

"Well, that is one problem addressed," Zoe said. "But how can we get to my sisters' garden?"

"Thalia's right," I said. "We need a car."

Percy said, "But there's nobody to help us here. Unless we, uh, borrowed one." He didn't sound happy at the notion. _The world could end tomorrow and you're concerned about stealing?_

"Wait," Thalia said. She started rifling through her backpack. "There is somebody in San Francisco who can help us. I've got the address here somewhere."

"Who?" I asked.

Thalia pulled out a crumpled piece of notebook paper and held it up. "Professor Chase. Annabeth's dad."

-o-

After hearing Annabeth complain about her dad for two years, I was expecting him to be some sort of cackling monster. I was _not_ expecting him to be wearing an old-fashioned aviator's cap and goggles. He looked so weird, with his eyes bugging out through the glasses, that we all took a step back on the front porch.

"Hello," he said in a friendly voice, "Are you delivering my airplanes?"

We looked at each other warily.

"Um, no, sir," Percy said.

"Drat," he said. "I need three more Sopwith Camels."

"Right." He gave us another look. "We're friends of Annabeth."

"Annabeth?" He straightened as if Thalia had just given him an electric shock. "Is she all right? Has something happened?"

None of us answered, but our faces must've told him that something was very wrong.

He took off his cap and goggles. He had sandy-colored hair like Annabeth and intense brown eyes. He was handsome, for an older guy, but his face was covered with stubble, and his shirt was buttoned wrong, so one side of his collar stuck up higher than the other side.

"You'd better come in," he said.

Annabeth's home was lovely. There were LEGO robots on the stairs and two cats sleeping on the sofa in the living room. The coffee table was stacked with magazines, and a little kid's winter coat was spread on the floor. The whole house smelled like fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookies. There was jazz music coming from the kitchen. I smiled. Something about it reminded me of home, of my cabin in the woods with Leto and Apollo. I swallowed the melancholy rising from my chest and followed Annabeth's dad.

"Dad!" a little boy screamed. "He's taking apart my robots!"

"Bobby," Dr. Chase called absently, "don't take apart your brother's robots."

"I'm Bobby," the little boy protested. "He's Matthew!"

"Matthew," Dr. Chase called, "don't take apart your brother's robots!"

"Okay, Dad!"

Dr. Chase turned to us. "We'll go upstairs to my study. This way."

"Honey?" a woman called. Annabeth's step-mom appeared in the living room, wiping her hands on a dish towel. She was a pretty Asian woman with red highlighted hair tied in a bun.

"Who are our guests?" she asked.

"Oh," Dr. Chase said. "This is…"

He stared at us blankly.

"Frederick," she chided. "You forgot to ask them their names?"

We introduced ourselves a little uneasily, but Mrs. Chase seemed really nice. She asked if we were hungry. We admitted we were, and she told us she'd bring us some cookies and sandwiches and sodas.

"Dear," Dr. Chase said. "They came about Annabeth."

I thought Mrs. Chase would freak out at the mention of her step-daughter, but she just pursed her lips and looked concerned. "All right. Go on up to the study and I'll bring you some food." She smiled. "Nice meeting you, Percy. I've heard a lot about you."

I snuck Percy a smirk and an eyebrow wiggle. He blushed. "Shut up."

Upstairs, we walked into Dr. Chase's study and Percy said, "Whoa!" I couldn't really blame him. The room was wall-to-wall books, but what really caught my attention were the war toys. There was a huge table with miniature tanks and soldiers fighting along a blue painted river, with hills and fake trees and stuff. Old-fashioned biplanes hung on strings from the ceiling, tilted at crazy angles like they were in the middle of a dogfight.

Dr. Chase smiled. "Yes. The Third Battle of Ypres. I'm writing a paper, you see, on the use of Sopwith Camels to strafe enemy lines. I believe they played a much greater role than they've been given credit for."

He plucked a biplane from its string and swept it across the battlefield, making airplane engine noises as he knocked down little German soldiers.

"Oh, right," Percy said. I suppressed a smile. _If only I had a camera._ Annabeth's dad playing with plains would make _excellent_ teasing material.

Zoe came over and studied the battlefield. "The German lines were farther from the river."

Dr. Chase stared at her. "How do you know that?"

"I was there," she said matter-of-factly. "Artemis wanted to show us how horrible war was, the way mortal men fight each other. And how foolish, too. The battle was a complete waste."

Dr. Chase opened his mouth in shock. "You—"

"She's a Hunter, sir," Thalia said. "But that's not why we're here. We need—"

"You saw the Sopwith Camels?" Dr. Chase said. "How many were there? What formations did they fly?"

"Sir," Thalia broke in again. "Annabeth is in danger."

That got his attention. He set the biplane down. "Of course," he said. "Tell me everything."

It wasn't easy, but we tried. Meanwhile, the afternoon light was fading outside. I clenched my fists. _We're running out of time!_

When we'd finished, Dr. Chase collapsed in his leather recliner. He laced his hands.

"My poor brave Annabeth. We must hurry."

"Sir, we need transportation to Mount Tamalpais," Zoe said. "And we need it immediately."

"I'll drive you. Hmm. it would be faster to fly in my Camel, but it only seats two."

"Whoa, you have an actual biplane?" Percy said.

"Down at Crissy Field," Dr. Chase said proudly. "That's the reason I had to move here. My sponsor is a private collector with some of the finest World War I relics in the world. He let me restore the Sopwith Camel—"

"Sir," Thalia said. "Just a car would be great. And it might be better if we went without you. It's too dangerous."

Dr. Chase frowned uncomfortably. "Now wait a minute, young lady. Annabeth is my daughter. Dangerous or not, I…I can't just—"

"Snacks," Mrs. Chase announced. She pushed through the door with a tray full of peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches and Cokes and cookies fresh out of the oven, the chocolate chips still gooey. Thalia, Percy, and I inhaled a few cookies while Zoe said, "I can drive, sir. I'm not as young as I look. I promise not to destroy your car."

Mrs. Chase knit her eyebrows. "What's this about?"

"Annabeth is in danger," Dr. Chase said. "On Mount Tam. I would drive them, but…apparently it's no place for mortals."

He obviously didn't like that last part.

I expected Mrs. Chase to refuse. But instead, she nodded. "Then they'd better get going."

"Right!" Dr. Chase jumped up and started patting his pockets. "My keys…"

His wife sighed. "Frederick, honestly. You'd lose your head if it weren't wrapped inside your aviator hat. The keys are hanging on the peg by the front door."

"Right!" Dr. Chase said.

Zoe grabbed a sandwich. "Thank you both. We should go. Now"

We hustled out the door and down the stairs, the Chases right behind us.

"Percy," Mrs. Chase called as we were leaving, "tell Annabeth…Tell her she still has a home here, will you? Remind her of that."

He took one last look at the messy living room, Annabeth's half brothers spilling LEGOs and arguing, the smell of cookies filling the air.

"I'll tell her," he promised.

We ran out to the yellow VW convertible parked in the driveway. The sun was going down. I figured we had less than an hour.

-o-

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Thalia demanded.

Zoe glared at her. "I cannot control traffic."

"You both sound like my mother," Percy said.

"Shut up!" they shouted in unison. I clasped my hands together. A shiver ran down my spine. We were almost at the end. _Your part to play in this is fast approaching._ I swallowed my fear and focused. _Save Annabeth, stop Kronos, that's all that matters._ If my life was the price for that…then I suppose it was a fair price. _One life to save a thousand._

Zoe weaved in and out of traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge. The sun was sinking on the horizon when we finally got into Marin County and exited the highway. The roads were insanely narrow, winding through forests and up the sides of hills and around the edges of steep ravines. Zoe didn't slow down at all.

"Why does everything smell like cough drops?" Percy asked.

"Eucalyptus." Zoe pointed to the huge trees all around us.

"The stuff koala bears eat?"

"And monsters," she said. "They love chewing the leaves. Especially dragons."

"Dragons chew eucalyptus leaves?"

"Believe me," Zoe said, "if you had dragon breath, you would chew eucalyptus too."

 _Dragons. Wonderful_. Ahead of us loomed Mount Tamalpais. I guess, in terms of mountains, it was a small one, but it looked plenty huge as we were driving toward it.

"So that's the Mountain of Despair?" Percy asked.

"Yes," Zoe said tightly.

"Why do they call it that?"

She was silent for almost a mile before answering. "After the war between the Titans and the gods, many of the Titans were punished and imprisoned. Kronos was sliced to pieces and thrown into Tartarus. His right-hand man, the general of his forces, was imprisoned up there, on the summit, just beyond the Garden of the Hesperides."

"The General," I said. _Your father._

Clouds seemed to be swirling around its peak, as though the mountain was drawing them in, spinning them like a top. "What's going on up there? A storm?" Percy asked.

Zoe didn't answer.

"We have to concentrate," Thalia said. "The Mist is really strong here."

"The magical kind or the natural kind?" Percy asked.

"Both." The gray clouds swirled even thicker over the mountain, and we kept driving straight toward them. We were out of the forest now, into wide open spaces of cliffs and grass and rocks and fog.

"Look!" Percy suddenly shouted, but we turned a corner and the ocean disappeared behind the hills.

"What?" Thalia asked.

"A big white ship," he said. "Docked near the beach. It looked like a cruise ship."

Her eyes widened. "Luke's ship?"

The _Princess Andromeda_ was Luke's mobile headquarters. Percy and Annabeth snuck on it last year, on their quest to save Grover.

"We will have company, then," Zoe said grimly. "Kronos's army."

Suddenly the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Thalia shouted, "Stop the car. NOW!"

Zoe must've sensed something was wrong, because she slammed on the brakes without question. The yellow VW spun twice before coming to a stop at the edge of the cliff.

"Out!" Thalia opened the door and jumped out. I kicked Percy out of the car and jumped out just before lightning flashed, and Dr. Chase's Volkswagen erupted like a canary-yellow grenade. I flattened myself against the pavement and felt wind rush past my hair. Part of the VW's fender had impaled itself in the street. The smoking hood was spinning in circles. Pieces of yellow metal were strewn across the road.

"Hunter," said a voice. I turned. Zoe was standing over me. "Are thee all right?"

"Fine," I said, taking her offered hand and pulling myself to my feet. "What was—"

She pressed her hand over my mouth. "Hush," she whispered. "Before he hears us."

I was about to ask "Who?" when I heard Percy yell "Zoe! Hunter!"

She hurried over to him and said, "Silence, fool! Do you want to wake Ladon?"

"You mean we're here?"

"Very close," she said. "Follow me." She began to walk up the hill, and I followed after her. The fog made it difficult to see, but I focused on Zoe, using her as a lifeline.

The road turned from cement to dirt. The grass was thicker. The sunset made a bloodred slash across the sea. The summit of the mountain seemed closer now, swirling with storm clouds and raw power. There was only one path to the top, directly in front of us. And it led through a lush meadow of shadows and flowers: the Garden of the Hesperides.

The grass shimmered with silvery evening light, and the flowers were such brilliant colors they almost glowed in the dark. Stepping stones of polished black marble led around either side of a five-story-tall apple tree, every bough glittering with golden apples. As soon as I smelled their fragrance, I knew that one bite would be the most delicious thing I'd ever tasted.

"The apples of immortality," Thalia said. "Hera's wedding gift from Zeus."

"Gaea," I said.

She looked at me. "What?"

"It was a gift from the goddess Gaea, not Zeus. Common mistake."

"How do you know that?"

"Leto told me about it."*

Guarding the tree was the dragon Ladon; his body was as thick as a booster rocket, glinting with coppery scales. He had more heads than I could count, as if a hundred deadly pythons had been fused together. He appeared to be asleep. The heads lay curled in a big spaghetti-like mound on the grass, all the eyes closed.

Then the shadows in front of us began to move. There was a beautiful, eerie singing, like voices from the bottom of a well. Percy reached for Riptide, but Zoe stopped his hand.

Four figures shimmered into existence, four young women who looked very much like Zoe. They all wore white Greek chitons. Their skin was like caramel. Silky black hair tumbled loose around their shoulders. They looked just like Zoe—gorgeous, and probably very dangerous.

"Sisters," Zoe said.

"We do not see any sister," one of the girls said coldly. "We see three half-bloods and a Hunter. All of whom shall soon die."

"You've got it wrong." Percy stepped forward. "Nobody is going to die."

The girls studied him. They had eyes like volcanic rock, glassy and completely black.

"Perseus Jackson," one of them said.

"Yes," mused another. "I do not see why he is a threat."

"Who said I was a threat?"

The first Hesperid glanced behind her, toward the top of the mountain. "They fear thee. They are unhappy that this one"—she pointed at Thalia—"has not yet killed thee."

"Tempting sometimes," Thalia admitted. "But no, thanks. He's my friend."

"There are no friends here, daughter of Zeus," the girl said. "Only enemies. Go back."

"Not without Annabeth," I said.

"And Artemis," Zoe said. "We must approach the mountain."

"You know he will kill thee," the girl said. "You are no match for him."

"Artemis must be freed," Zoe insisted. "Let us pass."

The girl shook her head. "You have no rights here anymore. We have only to raise our voices and Ladon will wake."

"He will not hurt me," Zoe said.

"No? And what about thy so-called friends?"

Then Zoe did the unexpected. She shouted, "Ladon! Wake!"

The dragon stirred, glittering like a mountain of pennies. The Hesperides yelped and scattered. The lead girl said to Zoe, "Are you mad?"

"You never had any courage, sister," Zoe said. "That is thy problem."

The dragon Ladon was writhing now, a hundred heads whipping around, tongues flickering and tasting the air. Zoe took a step forward, her arms raised.

"Zoe, don't," Thalia said. "You're not a Hesperid anymore. He'll kill you."

"Ladon is trained to protect the tree," Zoe said. "Skirt around the edges of the garden. Go up the mountain. As long as I am a bigger threat, he should ignore thee."

"Should," I said. "Not exactly reassuring."

"It is the only way," she said. "Even the four of us together cannot fight him."

Ladon opened his mouths. The sound of a hundred heads hissing at once sent a shiver down my back, and that was before his breath hit me. The smell was like acid. It made my eyes burn, my skin crawl, and my hair stand on end. I resisted the urge to gag.

Thalia and I went left. Percy went right. Zoe walked straight toward the monster.

"It's me, my little dragon," Zoe said. "Zoe has come back."

Ladon shifted forward, then back. Some of the mouths closed. Some kept hissing. Meanwhile, the Hesperides shimmered and turned into shadows. The voice of the eldest whispered, "Fool."

"I used to feed thee by hand," Zoe continued, speaking in a soothing voice as she stepped toward the golden tree. "Do you still like lamb's meat?"

The dragon's eyes glinted.

We were about halfway around the garden. Ahead, I could see a single rocky trail leading up to the black peak of the mountain. The storm swirled above it, spinning on the summit like it was the axis for the whole world.

We'd almost made it out of the meadow when something went wrong. I felt the dragon's mood shift. Maybe Zoe got too close. Maybe the dragon realized he was hungry. Whatever the reason, he lunged at Zoe.

Two thousand years of training kept her alive. She dodged one set of slashing fangs and tumbled under another, weaving through the dragon's heads as she ran in our direction, gagging from the monster's horrible breath.

Percy took a step toward her, but Zoe stopped him.

"No!" she panted. "Run!"

The dragon snapped at her side, and Zoe cried out. Thalia uncovered Aegis, and the dragon hissed. In his moment of indecision, Zoe sprinted past us up the mountain, and we followed.

The dragon didn't try to pursue. He hissed and stomped the ground, but he was well trained to guard that tree. He wasn't going to be lured off even by the tasty prospect of eating some heroes.

We ran up the mountain as the Hesperides resumed their song in the shadows behind us. The music didn't sound so beautiful to me now—more like the sound track for a funeral.

At the top of mountain were ruins, blocks of black granite and marble as big as houses. Broken columns. Statues of bronze that looked as though they'd been half melted.

"The ruins of Mount Othrys," Thalia whispered in awe.

"Yes," Zoe said. "It was not here before. This is bad."

"What's Mount Othrys?" Percy asked. It always astounded me how little he knew of our world.

"The mountain fortress of the Titans," I said.

Zoe nodded. "In the first war, Olympus and Othrys were the two rival capitals of the world. Othrys was—" She winced and held her side.

"You're hurt," Percy said. "Let me see."

"No! It is nothing. I was saying…in the first war, Othrys was blasted to pieces." "But…how is it here?"

Thalia looked around cautiously as we picked our way through the rubble, past blocks of marble and broken archways. "It moves in the same way that Olympus moves. It always exists on the edges of civilization. But the fact that it is here, on this mountain, is not good."

"Why?"

"This is Atlas's mountain," Zoe said. "Where he holds—" She froze. Her voice was ragged with despair. "Where he _used_ to hold up the sky."

We had reached the summit. A few yards ahead of us, gray clouds swirled in a heavy vortex, making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountaintop, but instead rested on the shoulders of a twelve-year-old girl with auburn hair and a tattered silvery jacket: Artemis, her legs bound to the rock with celestial bronze chains.

"My lady!" Zoe rushed forward, but Artemis said, "Stop! It is a trap. You must leave now."

Her voice was strained. She was drenched in sweat. My heart skipped a beat. As much as I hated her…seeing Artemis in such a state was painful. We had to free her.

Zoe was crying. She ran forward despite Artemis's protests, and tugged at the chains.

A booming voice spoke behind us: "Ah, how touching."

We turned. The General was standing there in his brown silk suit. At his side were Luke and half a dozen dracaenae bearing the golden sarcophagus of Kronos. Annabeth stood at Luke's side. She had her hands cuffed behind her back, a gag in her mouth, and Luke was holding the point of his sword to her throat.

But I hardly noticed that. What I saw was the dark-haired girl standing next to Luke, sword strapped to her belt, looking at me with her blue eyes. _Anna._

"Luke," Thalia snarled. "Let her go."

Luke's smile was weak and pale. He looked even worse than he had three days ago in D.C. "That is the General's decision, Thalia. But it's good to see you again."

Thalia spat at him.

The General chuckled. "So much for old friends. And you, Zoe. It's been a long time. How is my little traitor? I will enjoy killing you."

"Do not respond," Artemis groaned. "Do not challenge him."

"Wait a second," Percy said. "You're Atlas?"

The General glanced at him. "So, even the stupidest of heroes can finally figure something out. Yes, I am Atlas, the general of the Titans and terror of the gods. Congratulations. I will kill you presently, as soon as I deal with this wretched girl."

"You're not going to hurt Zoe" Percy said. "I won't let you."

The General sneered. "You have no right to interfere, little hero. This is a family matter."

Percy frowned. "A family matter?"

"Yes," Zoe said bleakly. "Atlas is my father."

I knew it. The moment I saw his face a moment ago I knew. They shared the same regal expression, the same cold proud look in their eyes. He was all the things I'd originally disliked about Zoe, with none of the good I'd come to appreciate.

"Let Artemis go," Zoe demanded.

Atlas walked closer to the chained goddess. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her, then? Be my guest."

Zoe opened her mouth to speak, but Artemis said, "No! Do not offer, Zoe! I forbid you." She looked at me. "Leave!"

 _Your part to play in this is fast approaching._ "No."

Atlas smirked. He knelt next to Artemis and tried to touch her face, but the goddess bit at him, almost taking off his fingers.

"Hoo-hoo," Atlas chuckled. "You see, daughter? Lady Artemis likes her new job. I think I will have all the Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos rules again, and this is the center of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."

"I don't understand," Percy said. "Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky?"

Atlas laughed. "How little you understand, young one. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth their mighty children, the Titans. The sky still yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape." Atlas smiled. "Unless someone else takes it from you."

He approached us, studying Thalia and Percy. "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge." He gave me a sideways glance. "And Artemis's bastard. I'll kill you in front of her, let her watch your blood leak out."

" _NO!"_ Artemis cried. "Stay away from him!"

He laughed. "Such weakness. How pitiful you Olympians are."

"Fight us," Percy said.

"Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity. I will have Luke and Annabelle crush you instead." Anna's eyes darkened at the name, but she didn't comment on it.

"Like they could," I said.

"So you're another coward," Percy said.

Atlas's eyes glowed with hatred. With difficulty, he turned his attention to Thalia. "As for you, daughter of Zeus, it seems Luke was wrong about you."

"I wasn't wrong," Luke managed. He looked terribly weak, and he spoke every word as if it were painful. _Good,_ I thought. _You deserve worse, you filthy traitor._ "Thalia, you still can join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you. Look!"

He waved his hand, and next to us a pool of water appeared: a pond ringed in black marble, big enough for the Ophiotaurus.

"Thalia, call the Ophiotaurus," Luke persisted. "And you will be more powerful than the gods."

"Luke…" Her voice was full of pain. "What _happened_ to you?"

"Don't you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the gods? Our fathers have done nothing for us. They have no right to rule the world!"

Thalia shook her head. "Free Annabeth. Let her go."

"If you join me," Luke promised, "it can be like old times. The three of us together. Fighting for a better world. Please, Thalia, if you don't agree…" His voice faltered. "It's my last chance. He will use the other way if you don't agree. Please."

I didn't know what he meant, but the fear in his voice sounded real enough. His life depended on Thalia's joining his cause. And I was afraid Thalia might believe it too.

"Do not, Thalia," Zoe warned. "We must fight them."

Luke waved his hand again, and a fire appeared. A bronze brazier, just like the one at camp. A sacrificial flame.

"Thalia," I said. "No."

Behind Luke, the golden sarcophagus began to glow. As it did, images in the mist swirled around us: black marble walls rising, the ruins becoming whole, a terrible and beautiful palace rising around us, made of fear and shadow.

"We will raise Mount Othrys right here," Luke promised, in a voice so strained it was hardly his. "Once more, it will be stronger and greater than Olympus. Look, Thalia. We are not weak."

He pointed toward the ocean, and my heart fell. Marching up the side of the mountain, from the beach where the Princess Andromeda was docked, was a great army. Dracaenae and Laestrygonians, monsters and half-bloods, hell hounds, harpies, and other things I couldn't even name. The whole ship must've been emptied, because there were hundreds, all marching toward us. In a few minutes, they would be here.

"This is only a taste of what is to come," Luke said. "Soon we will be ready to storm Camp Half-Blood. And after that, Olympus itself. All we need is your help."

For a terrible moment, Thalia hesitated. She gazed at Luke, her eyes full of pain, as if the only thing she wanted in the world was to believe him. Then she leveled her spear. "You aren't Luke. I don't know you anymore."

"Yes, you do, Thalia," he pleaded. "Please. Don't make me…Don't make him destroy you."

There was no time. If that army got to the top of the hill, we would be overwhelmed. I looked at Thalia, Percy, and Zoe, and I decided it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to die fighting with friends like this.

"Now," Percy said.

Together, we charged.

Thalia went straight for Luke. The power of her shield was so great that his dragon-women bodyguards fled in a panic, dropping the golden coffin and leaving him alone. But despite his sickly appearance, Luke was still quick with his sword. He snarled like a wild animal and counterattacked. When his sword, Backbiter, met Thalia's shield, a ball of lightning erupted between them, frying the air with yellow tendrils of power.

Percy and Zoe went for Atlas, Percy with his sword, Zoe with her bow.

He laughed as they approached. A huge javelin appeared in his hands. His silk suit melted into full Greek battle armor. "Go on, then!"

"Percy!" Zoe said. "Beware!"

I didn't see what came next, as I went for Anna, knives drawn. She threw herself aside as I slashed at her head, only barely missing. "You've gotten faster."

"Or maybe you've gotten slower, Belle."

She scowled and drew her blade. "Do _not_ call me that."

"This isn't training; I'll call you whatever I damn-well please." We started to circle one another slowly. "Your mother asked me to find you. To bring you back."

"And what did you say?"

"That I'd try. Come back, leave Luke."

"No."

"Okay." I rushed at her, cutting at her stomach, guts, neck, and head. She parried them with her blade, or moved out of the way.

"What, no speech? No words of inspiration?"

"You stabbed me in the leg and left me to bleed to death. Only speech I have is the eulogy I'll give at your funeral. 'She died as she lived—a coward and a traitor. The world's better off without her'."

She cut at me, pressing me back and back, but I was faster, so I slid away from her blade and came back quickly, getting a shallow cut at her cheek. "You don't really mean that."

"Are you sure about that? Oh, and can you at least _try_ and keep up? This is gonna be a pretty slow fight otherwise."

She screamed and cut at me, but I deflected with my knives. We went back and forth, cutting and slicing. "I'm stronger than you," I said, ducking an overhead arc. "I'm faster than you," I said, sliding out of the way of her blade. "I'm smarter than you," I said, parrying a jab. It went like that for a time, one of us getting the advantage before losing it, hacking and cutting at each other. She cut my arm; I got her stomach. We were both panting and sweating. Eventually though, it came to an end.

I feinted left, and when she swung, I moved right and disarmed her. In her moment of shock I hit her with the handle of my knife so hard she fell to the ground. I grabbed her face and slammed her into the ground once, twice, three times, until she lay still, groaning.

"Be grateful I'm merciful," I said as I ran toward my friends.

Thalia and Luke went spear on sword, lightning still flashing around them. Thalia pressed Luke back with the aura of her shield. Even he was not immune to it. He retreated, wincing and growling in frustration.

Percy was on the ground near Artemis, dazed. Zoe was firing arrows at her father, but they did little more than annoy him. I rushed toward him, leaped into the air, and drove my dagger into the gap between his neck and the armor. He roared and threw me to the ground. I heard Zoe scream, but Atlas raised his javelin to impale me. Before he could, I rolled out of the way and shoved his back as hard as I could with my shoulder. It did little more than move him less than an inch, but he was that much closer to where the sky met the earth.

He swung his javelin in an arc, and I just barely managed to duck and avoid decapitation. Suddenly Atlas jerked to the side, and I saw Artemis, eyes flashing with rage, free of the sky. Where she had stood, Percy now held Atlas's burden, sweat pouring down his face. _Hang on, buddy._

 _Toward the sky,_ I heard a voice in my head say.

 _Obviously,_ I responded.

Together, Artemis, Zoe and I drove Atlas back and back. Artemis was a blur of silver, her hunting knives flashing. Her form shifted as she moved, a tiger, a gazelle, a bear, a falcon. I cut at Atlas, going for the weak points at his legs, ankles, arms. Zoe stayed back and fired arrows into the chinks of his armor. He bellowed and cursed, growing angrier and angrier. When we got close enough, I charged right at Atlas, hoping he would take the bait. _Get ready,_ I told Artemis.

Atlas swept my feet with his javelin. I went down, pretending to be dazed. If she wanted, Artemis could let me die here, and get Atlas back under the sky on her own. _One life to save a thousand._

Atlas brought up his javelin tip for the kill. "No!" Zoe screamed. She leaped between her father and me and shot an arrow straight into the Titan's forehead, where it lodged like a unicorn's horn. Atlas bellowed in rage. He swept aside his daughter with the back of his hand, sending her flying into the black rocks. I wanted to get up, to go to her, but this could be our only chance. _Get ready._ I wouldn't be able to avoid his javelin this time. I prayed that Artemis heard me.

He looked down at me, triumph clear on his face. "The first blood in a new war," Atlas gloated. And he stabbed downward.

If Artemis did nothing, I was as good as dead.

 _Your part to play in this is fast approaching._

Just then, Artemis appeared before me, directing the javelin tip into the ground. she pulled backward, using the javelin like a lever, kicking the Titan Lord and sending him flying over her. He crashed on top of Percy, who moved out from under the sky, leaving Atlas trapped again.

"Noooooo!" He bellowed so hard it shook the mountain. "Not again!"

"Hunter," came a soft voice. Artemis was standing over me, hand outstretched. "Are you all right?"

I took her hand. "Fine. Thanks, for, um, your help."

She nodded. "Of course." She turned. "Come." We ran for where Zoe had fallen. When Artemis saw her, she said, "No," and held the huntress to her. I knelt beside them. Zoe's cut was sickening, the flesh turning green and corrosive. _She's going to die,_ a voice said.

I blinked. _No,_ I thought. _That's not true, Zoe'll be fine._ But deep down I knew that wasn't true. Ladon's bite was eating her up inside. The prophecy hadn't been about me at all. It was Zoe. She was supposed to die at her parent's hand—her father, Atlas.

Tears were running down Artemis's cheeks, and she was humming a comforting tune, like the lullabies Leto used to sing. And suddenly I realized why Zoe and the other Hunters were so loyal—because Artemis was as loyal to them as they were to her.

"Artemis!" Percy called.

Thalia, Percy, and Annabeth were running toward us. Thalia looked grief-stricken. I hoped that meant Luke was dead. _Good._ When they saw Zoe, they stopped short.

"The wound is poisoned," Artemis said.

"Atlas poisoned her?" Percy asked.

"No," the goddess said. "Not Atlas." She showed them the wound in Zoe's side.

"The stars," Zoe murmured. "I cannot see them."

"Nectar and ambrosia," Percy said. "Come on! We have to get her some."

No one moved. Grief hung in air. The army of Kronos was coming closer. Even Artemis was too shocked to stir. We might've met our doom right there, but then I heard a strange buzzing noise.

Just as the army of monsters came over the hill, a Sopwith Camel swooped down out of the sky.

"Get away from my daughter!" Dr. Chase called down, and his machine guns burst to life, peppering the ground with bullet holes and startling the whole group of monsters into scattering.

"Dad?" yelled Annabeth in disbelief.

"Run!" he called back, his voice growing fainter as the biplane swooped by.

This shook Artemis out of her grief. She stared up at the antique plane, which was now banking around for another strafe. "A brave man," Artemis said with grudging approval. "Come, we must get Zoe away from here."

She raised her hunting horn to her lips, and its clear sound echoed down the valleys of Marin. Zoe's eyes were fluttering.

"Hang in there!" Percy told her. "It'll be all right!"

The Sopwith Camel swooped down again. A few giants threw javelins, and one flew straight between the wings of the plane, but the machine guns blazed. I realized with amazement that somehow Dr. Chase must've gotten hold of celestial bronze to fashion his bullets. The first row of snake women wailed as the machine gun's volley blew them into sulfurous yellow powder.

"That's…my dad!" Annabeth said in amazement.

But the giants and snake women were already recovering from their surprise. Dr. Chase would be in trouble soon.

Just then, the moonlight brightened, and a silver chariot appeared from the sky, drawn by the most beautiful deer I had ever seen. It landed right next to us.

"Get in," Artemis said. Annabeth helped Percy get Thalia on board. I helped Artemis with Zoe. We wrapped Zoe in a blanket as Artemis pulled the reins and the chariot sped away from the mountain, straight into the air.

"Like Santa Claus's sleigh," Percy murmured, still dazed with pain.

Artemis took time to look back at him. "Indeed, young half-blood. And where do you think that legend came from?"

Seeing us safely away, Dr. Chase turned his biplane and followed us like an honor guard. It must have been one of the strangest sights ever—a silver flying chariot pulled by deer, escorted by a Sopwith Camel.

Behind us, the army of Kronos roared in anger as they gathered on the summit of Mount Tamalpais, but the loudest sound was the voice of Atlas, bellowing curses against the gods as he struggled under the weight of the sky.

-o-

We landed at Crissy Field after nightfall.

As soon as Dr. Chase stepped out of his Sopwith Camel, Annabeth ran to him and gave him a huge hug. "Dad! You flew…you shot…oh my gods! That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!"

Her father blushed. "Well, not bad for a middle-aged mortal, I suppose."

"But the celestial bronze bullets! How did you get those?"

"Ah, well. You did leave quite a few half-blood weapons in your room in Virginia, the last time you…left."

Annabeth looked down, embarrassed. "I decided to try melting some down to make bullet casings," he continued. "Just a little experiment."

"Dad…" Annabeth faltered.

"Annabeth, Percy," Thalia interrupted. Her voice was urgent. We were kneeling at Zoe's side, binding the huntress's wounds. She didn't look good. She was shivering, and the faint glow that usually hung around her was fading.

"Can't you heal her with magic?" Percy asked Artemis. "I mean…you're a goddess."

Artemis looked troubled. "Life is a fragile thing, Percy. If the Fates will the string to be cut, there is little I can do. But I can try."

She tried to set her hand on Zoe's side, but Zoe gripped her wrist. She looked into the goddess's eyes, and some kind of understanding passed between them.

"Have I…served thee well?" Zoe whispered.

"With great honor," Artemis said softly. "The finest of my attendants."

Zoe's face relaxed. "Rest. At last."

"I can try to heal the poison, my brave one."

But in that moment, I knew it wasn't just the poison that was killing her. It was her father's final blow. Zoe had known all along that the Oracle's prophecy was about her: she would die by a parent's hand. And yet she'd taken the quest anyway.

She saw Thalia, and took her hand.

"I am sorry we argued," Zoe said. "We could have been sisters."

"It's my fault," Thalia said, blinking hard. "You were right about Luke, about heroes, men—everything."

"Perhaps not all men," Zoe murmured. She smiled weakly. "Do you still have the sword, Percy?"

Percy pulled out Riptide. _She made his sword?_ Percy handed her the pen, and she grasped it contently.

"You spoke the truth, Percy Jackson. You are nothing like…like Hercules. I am honored that you carry this sword."

A shudder ran through her body.

"Zoe—" I said.

She took my hand. "Do you remember what you promised?"

I thought for a moment, then I remembered. What she'd asked of me in the luxury car as we fled Washington. "I remember."

"And will you keep it?"

I looked up, and met Artemis's eyes. She was looking between us, confused. I squeezed Zoe's hand. "I will. I promise."

"Stars," she whispered. "I can see the stars again, my lady."

A tear trickled down Artemis's cheek. "Yes, my brave one. They are beautiful tonight."

"Stars," Zoe repeated. Her eyes fixed on the night sky. And she did not move again.

Thalia lowered her head. Annabeth gulped down a sob, and her father put his hands on her shoulders. I punched the ground so hard my skin broke.

Artemis cupped her hand above Zoe's mouth and spoke a few words in Ancient Greek. A silvery wisp of smoke exhaled from Zoe's lips and was caught in the hand of the goddess. Zoe's body shimmered and disappeared.

Artemis stood, said a kind of blessing, breathed into her cupped hand and released the silver dust to the sky. It flew up, sparkling, and vanished.

Annabeth gasped. Looking up in the sky, I saw that the stars were brighter now. They made a pattern I had never noticed before—a gleaming constellation that looked a lot like a girl's figure—a girl with a bow, running across the sky.

"Let the world honor you, my Huntress," Artemis said. "Live forever in the stars."

I massaged my bloody knuckle. It wasn't fair. Zoe, for all her flaws, should have lived. I warm hand pulled my fingers away, and I looked up to find Artemis standing in front of me. There were tears in her eyes, and her form flickered silver. I was afraid she'd show her true form and destroy us, but she seemed to control herself. She squeezed my good hand and wrapped the bad one in gauze. She brought my hand up to her lips and pressed them against the bandage. The pain faded somewhat. She gave a smile. "I am proud of you, my son." She turned.

"I must go to Olympus immediately," Artemis said. "I will not be able to take you, but I will send help." She let go of me and set her hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "You are brave beyond measure, my girl. You will do what is right."

Then she looked quizzically at Thalia, as if she weren't sure what to make of this younger daughter of Zeus. Thalia seemed reluctant to look up, but something made her, and she held the goddess's eyes. I wasn't sure what passed between them, but Artemis's gaze softened with sympathy. Then she turned to Percy.

"You did well," she said. "For a man." She mounted her chariot, which began to glow. We averted our eyes. There was a flash of silver, and the goddess was gone.

"Well," Dr. Chase sighed. "She was impressive; though I must say I still prefer Athena."

Annabeth turned toward him. "Dad, I…I'm sorry that—"

"Shh." He hugged her. "Do what you must, my dear. I know this isn't easy for you." His voice was a little shaky, but he gave Annabeth a brave smile.

Then I heard the whoosh of large wings. Four pegasi descended through the fog: two white winged horses, a chestnut-color one, and one pure black one.

"Blackjack!" Percy called. A pause. "It was rough."

The horses looked him over with concern, then checked us out. They whickered. "Nah," Percy said. "These are my friends. We need to get to Olympus pretty fast." Another pause. "Nah, he isn't coming."

I blinked. _Fascinating._ I wondered if Percy was a partial skinwalker, then decided against it. It was likely his ability to speak to horses came from his father Poseidon.

The professor was staring openmouthed at the pegasi. "Fascinating," he said. "Such maneuverability! How does the wingspan compensate for the weight of the horse's body, I wonder? Why, if the British had had these pegasi in the cavalry charges on the Crimea, the charge of the light brigade—"

"Dad!" Annabeth interrupted.

Dr. Chase blinked. He looked at his daughter and managed a smile. "I'm sorry, my dear, I know you must go."

He gave her one last awkward, well-meaning hug. As she turned to climb aboard the pegasus Guido, Dr. Chase called, "Annabeth. I know…I know San Francisco is a dangerous place for you. But please remember, you always have a home with us. We will keep you safe."

Annabeth didn't answer, but her eyes were red as she turned away. Dr. Chase started to say more, then apparently thought better of it. He raised his hand in a sad farewell and trudged away across the dark field.

We mounted our pegasi. Together we soared over the bay and flew toward the eastern hills. Soon San Francisco was only a glittering crescent behind us, with an occasional flicker of lightning in the north.

Thalia was so exhausted she fell asleep on Porkpie's back. Her pegasus flew with ease, adjusting himself every once in a while so Thalia stayed safely on his back. I considered jumping into my pegasus, then decided against it; I wasn't sure how a magical creature would react to being skinwalked. I chose instead to fly in silence, though I could hear what Percy and Annabeth were saying.

"Your dad seems cool," Percy told her.

"I guess so," she said. "We've been arguing for so many years."

"Yeah, you said."

"You think I was lying about that?" It sounded like a challenge, but it sounded like she was asking it of herself.

"I didn't say you were lying. It's just… he seems okay. Your stepmom, too. Maybe they've, uh, gotten cooler since you saw them last."

She hesitated. "They're still in San Francisco, Percy. I can't live so far from camp."

"So what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "But thank you for rescuing me."

"Hey, no big deal. We're friends."

"You didn't believe I was dead?"

"Never."

She hesitated. "Neither is Luke, you know. I mean…he isn't dead."

My hands tightened. Luke deserved death. Percy said, "Annabeth, that fall was pretty bad. There's no way—"

"He isn't dead," she insisted. "I know it. The same way you knew about me."

Was Anna dead too? I doubted it. Her cuts had been too shallow to be life-threatening, and her head only took enough damage to receive a mild concussion at best. Unless she swallowed her tongue. She might have swallowed her tongue. But that didn't sound right. What demigod died by swallowing their own tongue? No, Anna was still alive. _Hopefully she's better next time we meet._

The towns were zipping by faster now, islands of light thicker together, until the whole landscape below was a glittering carpet. Dawn was close. The eastern sky was turning gray. And up ahead, a huge white-and-yellow glow spread out before us—the lights of New York.

"There it is." Thalia's voice; she'd woken up. She was pointing toward Manhattan, which was quickly zooming into view. "It's started."

"What's started?" I asked. Then I looked where she was pointing. High above the Empire State Building, Mount Olympus was its own island of light, a floating mountain ablaze with torches and braziers, white marble palaces gleaming in the early morning air.

I swallowed. It was my first time seeing the godly mountain, and already I was awed.

"The winter solstice," Thalia said. "The Council of the Gods."

-o-

We circled over midtown Manhattan, making one complete orbit around Mount Olympus. Percy had told me about his trip there to return the Master Bolt to Zeus, but his stories did the place no justice.

In the early-morning darkness, torches and fires made the mountainside palaces glow twenty different colors, from bloodred to indigo. The twisting streets were full of demigods and nature spirits and minor godlings bustling about, riding chariots or pillowed chairs carried by Cyclopes. Winter didn't seem to exist here. I caught the scent of the gardens in full bloom, jasmine and roses and even sweeter things I couldn't name. Music drifted up from many windows, the soft sounds of lyres and reed pipes. Silver and gold palaces glittered blindingly. Towering at the peak of the mountain was the greatest palace of all, the glowing white hall of the gods.

Our pegasi set us down in the outer courtyard, in front of huge silver gates. Before we could even think to knock, the gates opened by themselves. I admit, I was nervous. The thought of seeing all the gods assembled was nerve-wracking, to say the least. Any one of them could blast me to dust. Except Apollo. Or maybe Artemis. Possibly.

Our pegasi took to the skies, leaving us alone. For a minute we stood there regarding the palace, the way we'd stood together in front of Westover Hall, what seemed like a million years ago.

And then, side by side, we walked into the throne room.

Twelve enormous thrones made a U around a central hearth, just like the placement of the cabins at camp. The ceiling above glittered with constellations—even the newest one, Zoe the Huntress, making her way across the heavens with her bow drawn.

All of the seats were occupied. Each god and goddess was about fifteen feet tall, as intimidating as twelve volatile nuclear bombs.

"Welcome, heroes," Artemis said.

"Mooo!"

That's when I noticed Grover and the serpent-cow.

A sphere of water was hovering in the center of the room, next to the hearth fire. The creature was swimming happily around, swishing his serpent tail and poking his head out the sides and bottom of the sphere. He seemed to be enjoying the novelty of swimming in a magic bubble. Grover was kneeling at Zeus's throne, as if he'd just been giving a report, but when he saw us, he cried, "You made it!"

He started to run towardus, then remembered he was turning his back on Zeus, and looked for permission.

"Go on," Zeus said. But he wasn't really paying attention to Grover. The lord of the sky was staring intently at Thalia.

Grover trotted over. None of the gods spoke. Every clop of Grover's hooves echoed on the marble floor. The creature splashed in his bubble of water. The hearth fire crackled.

I glanced up and looked for Apollo. He was seated on a massive golden throne, wearing sunglasses and a pair of headphones. When he saw me looking at him he smiled, pulled up his shades, and winked. I took some comfort in that.

Grover gave Annabeth, Thalia, and me big hugs. Then he grasped Percy's arms. "Percy, Bessie and I made it! But you have to convince them! They can't do it!"

"Do what?" he asked.

"Heroes," Artemis called.

The goddess slid down from her throne and turned to human size, a young auburn-haired girl, perfectly at ease in the midst of the giant Olympians. She walked toward us, her silver robes shimmering. There was no emotion in her face. She seemed to walk in a column of moonlight.

"The Council has been informed of your deeds," Artemis told us. "They know that Mount Othrys is rising in the West. They know of Atlas's attempt for freedom, and the gathering armies of Kronos. We have voted to act."

There was some mumbling and shuffling among the gods, as if they weren't all happy with this plan, but nobody protested.

"At my lord Zeus's command," Artemis said, "my brother Apollo and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to strike them down before they can join the Titans' cause. Lady Athena shall personally check on the other Titans to make sure they do not escape their various prisons. Lord Poseidon has been given permission to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship _Princess Andromeda_ and send it to the bottom of the sea. And as for you, my heroes…" She turned to face the other immortals. "These half-bloods have done Olympus a great service. Would any here deny that?"

She looked around at the assembled gods, meeting their faces individually.

Zeus was sitting on a simple throne made out of solid platinum, with lightning designs on the sides. He was dressed in a dark blue business suit, his salt-and-pepper hair and beard combed neatly. Not what I expected from such an egotistical control-freak, though white togas were a little out of fashion.

His brother Poseidon sat upon a molded black seal leather seat which was attached to a swivel pedestal, and with a built-in holster for a fishing pole. He was wearing beach shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, and sandals. He had a weathered, suntanned face with a dark beard and deep green eyes like his son. Despite that, I tried not to make eye contact. If half the stories about him were true, he was as volatile and unpredictable as a storm.

Beside Poseidon sat Hephaestus, a huge lump of a man with a leg in a steel brace, a misshapen head, and a wild brown beard, fire flickering through his whiskers. His throne looked like a huge mechanical La-Z-Boy type chair covered with bronze and silver gears.

Hermes, a man with sandy blonde hair and a business suit, looked like a carbon copy of his son Luke. The similarity made my stomach turn. His throne was simple; made of gray rock, with ram's heads on the arms and a cushion of goatskin.

After him was Apollo, and after him sat Ares; violent, brutal fool that he was. His throne was made of leather and chrome with large human skulls built into the arms. _Edgelord._

Next to Zeus on the ladies' side was his vindictive, jealous wife Hera, sitting upon a throne of ivory and adamantine, with her dark brown hair braided over one shoulder and a dress that shimmered colors like peacock feathers. She looked much like her son Jay, though I doubt she was as friendly. They shared the same hair and frown. _He'll love the comparison,_ I thought, though I had no plans to tell him that. He hated his mother, and I couldn't blame him. _Who blames a baby for being born?_

Her sister Demeter, light-haired and resplendent in a green gown, sat next to her on a throne woven of apple-tree branches, wheat stalks, and dried grass. I didn't think that could be very comfortable, but to each their own, I suppose.

Dionysus sat upon a throne of grape vines. I was confused about why he was sitting on the women's side, but then I remembered that Melony's mother Hestia gave up her throne so that he could sit amongst the Olympians. _Was that a good decision, or a bad one?_

Athena sat next to him, wearing golden armor over white robes. Beneath her was a throne of silver with golden basket work inlaid on the back and sides.

Artemis's throne was a simple silver, with crescent moon designs on the sides and wolf pelts on the seat.

Then finally was Aphrodite, gorgeous black hair falling down her back. Her throne was silver and inlaid with aquamarines, beryls and other precious stones. The back is shaped like a large seashell and the seat is made from soft swan's-down.

All twelve Olympians, staring down at the five of us.

"I gotta say"—Apollo broke the silence—"these kids did okay." He cleared his throat and began to recite: "Heroes win laurels—"

"Um, yes, first class," Hermes interrupted, like he was anxious to avoid Apollo's poetry. "All in favor of not disintegrating them?"

A few tentative hands went up—Demeter, Aphrodite.

"Wait just a minute," Ares growled. He pointed at Thalia and Percy. "These two are dangerous. It'd be much safer, while we've got them here—"

"Ares," Poseidon interrupted, "they are worthy heroes. We will not blast my son to bits."

"Nor my daughter," Zeus grumbled. "She has done well."

Thalia blushed. She studied the floor.

The goddess Athena cleared her throat and sat forward. "I am proud of my daughter as well. But there is a security risk here with the other two."

"Mother!" Annabeth said. "How can you—"

Athena cut her off with a calm but firm look. "It is unfortunate that my father, Zeus, and my uncle, Poseidon, chose to break their oath not to have more children. Only Hades kept his word, a fact that I find ironic." I shared a look with Thalia and Percy, and we all unanimously decided _Say nothing!_ "As we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods…such as Thalia and Percy…are dangerous. As thickheaded as he is, Ares has a point."

"Right!" Ares said. "Hey, wait a minute. Who you callin'—"

He started to get up, but a grape vine grew around his waist like a seat belt and pulled him back down. "Oh, please, Ares," Dionysus sighed. "Save the fighting for later."

Ares cursed and ripped away the vine. "You're one to talk, you old drunk. You seriously want to protect these brats?"

Dionysus gazed down at them wearily. "I have no love for them. Athena, do you truly think it safest to destroy them?"

"I do not pass judgment," Athena said. "I only point out the risk. What we do, the Council must decide."

"I will not have them punished," Artemis said. "I will have them rewarded. If we destroy heroes who do us a great favor, then we are no better than the Titans. If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it."

"Calm down, sis," Apollo said. "Jeez, you need to lighten up."

"Don't call me sis! I will reward them."

"Now hold on," Demeter said. "What about that one?" She pointed at me.

My mouth was suddenly dry. "M-me?"

"He's got the mark. You all recognize. He's a beastling. An abomination. I won't stand for it."

I balled my fists, if only to imagine throttling the harvest goddess. _Well, fuck Demeter, then._

"You will not harm my son," Artemis said, in a voice made of ice.

"And why not?" Demeter demanded. "You know what his kind are capable of. I say, we destroy him now, before he causes any more problems in the future."

To my horror, a handful of the gods nodded.

"You will _not_ harm him," Artemis said.

"Agreed," Apollo said, fire dancing in his eyes. "Unless you'd like for there to be an abundant lack of sunlight, which I do believe your plants need to survive, yes, Demeter?"

I could have hugged him.

"But—"

"Enough," Zeus commanded. "Olympian law is clear. Artemis's heir is not to be touched. No matter what he may be."** He leaned forward "But the monster at least must be destroyed. We have agreement on that?"

A lot of nodding heads.

"Bessie?" Percy blurted. "You want to destroy Bessie?"

"Mooooooo!" The creature…Bessie…protested.

Poseidon frowned. "You have named the Ophiotaurus _Bessie_?"

"Dad," Percy said, "he's just a sea creature. A really nice sea creature. You can't destroy him."

Poseidon shifted uncomfortably. "Percy, the monster's power is considerable. If the Titans were to steal it, or—"

"You can't," He insisted. "Controlling the prophecies never works. Isn't that true? Besides, Bess—the Ophiotaurus is innocent. Killing something like that is wrong. It's just as wrong as…as Kronos eating his children, just because of something they _might_ do. It's wrong!"

Zeus seemed to consider this. His eyes drifted to his daughter Thalia. "And what of the risk? Kronos knows full well, if one of you were to sacrifice the beast's entrails, you would have the power to destroy us. Do you think we can let that possibility remain? You, my daughter, will turn sixteen on the morrow, just as the prophecy says."

"You have to trust them," Annabeth spoke up. "Sir, you have to trust them."

Zeus scowled. "Trust a hero?"

"Annabeth is right," Artemis said. "Which is why I must first make a reward. My faithful companion, Zoe Nightshade, has passed into the stars. I must have a new lieutenant. And I intend to choose one. But first, Father Zeus, I must speak to you privately."

Zeus beckoned Artemis forward. He leaned down and listened as she spoke in his ear.

A feeling of panic seized me. "No," I said under my breath. "Don't. Please"

Artemis turned. "I shall have a new lieutenant," she announced. "If she will accept it."

"No," I murmured. _Fates, please, no._

"Thalia," Artemis said. "Daughter of Zeus. Will you join the Hunt?"

Stunned silence filled the room. I stared at Thalia, unable to believe what I was hearing. Annabeth smiled. She squeezed Thalia's hand and let it go, as if she'd been expecting this all along.

"I will," Thalia said firmly. I bit the inside of my mouth. _No, no, no._

Zeus rose, his eyes full of concern. "My daughter, consider well—"

"Father," she said. "I will not turn sixteen tomorrow. I will never turn sixteen. I won't let this prophecy be mine. I stand with my sister Artemis. Kronos will never tempt me again."

She knelt before the goddess and said, "I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the hunt."

Then, Thalia did something that surprised me almost as much as the pledge. She came over to Percy, smiled, and in front of the whole assembly, she gave him a big hug. He blushed.

When she pulled away and gripped my shoulders, he said, "Um…aren't you supposed to not do that anymore? Hug boys, I mean?"

"I'm honoring a friend," she corrected. "I must join the Hunt, Percy. I haven't known peace since…since Half-Blood Hill. I finally feel like I have a home. But you're a hero. You will be the one of the prophecy."

"Great," he muttered.

"I'm proud to be your friend."

She hugged Annabeth, who was trying hard not to cry. Then she hugged Grover, who looked ready to pass out, like somebody had just given him an all-you-can-eat enchilada coupon.

Then she came over to me. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around me. I wanted to cry, but held it in.

"I'm sorry too."

After what was probably longer than necessary, she pulled back and went to stand by Artemis's side. Aphrodite watched us, then gave me a delighted look. A sent her a glare that could curdle milk. _Leave me be, you harpy. Go bother someone else._

"Now for the Ophiotaurus," Artemis said.

"This boy is still dangerous," Dionysus warned. "The beast is a temptation to great power. Even if we spare the boy—"

"No." Percy looked around at all the gods. "Please. Keep the Ophiotaurus safe. My dad can hide him under the sea somewhere, or keep him in an aquarium here in Olympus. But you have to protect him."

"And why should we trust you?" rumbled Hephaestus.

"I'm only fourteen," he said. "If this prophecy is about me, that's two more years."

"Two years for Kronos to deceive you," Athena said. "Much can change in two years, my young hero."

"Mother!" Annabeth said, exasperated.

"It is only the truth, child. It is bad strategy to keep the animal alive. Or the boy."

Poseidon stood. "I will not have a sea creature destroyed, if I can help it. And I can help it."

He held out his hand, and a trident appeared in it: a twenty-foot-long bronze shaft with three spear tips that shimmered with blue, watery light. "I will vouch for the boy and the safety of the Ophiotaurus."

"You won't take it under the sea!" Zeus stood suddenly. "I won't have that kind of bargaining chip in your possession."

"Brother, please," Poseidon sighed.

Zeus's lightning bolt appeared in his hand, a shaft of electricity that filled the whole room with the smell of ozone.

"Fine," Poseidon said. "I will build an aquarium for the creature here. Hephaestus can help me. The creature will be safe. We shall protect it with all our powers. The boy will not betray us. I vouch for this on my honor."

Zeus thought about this. "All in favor?"

To my surprise, a lot of hands went up. Dionysus abstained. So did Ares and Athena. But everybody else…

"We have a majority," Zeus decreed. "And so, since we will not be destroying these heroes…I imagine we should honor them. Let the triumph celebration begin!"

Olympus glittered from head to heel, like Marti Gras dialed to eleven. The Nine Muses cranked up the tunes, and I realized the music was whatever you wanted it to be: the gods could listen to classical and the younger demigods heard hip-hop or whatever, and it was all the same sound track. No arguments. No fights to change the radio station. Just requests to crank it up.

Dionysus went around growing refreshment stands out of the ground, and a beautiful woman walked with him arm in arm—his wife Ariadne, I assumed. Dionysus looked happy for the first time. Nectar and ambrosia overflowed from golden fountains, and platters of mortal snack food crowded the banquet tables. Golden goblets filled with whatever drink you wanted. Grover trotted around with a full plate of tin cans and enchiladas, and his goblet was full of double-espresso latte, which he kept muttering over like an incantation: "Pan! Pan!"

Despite the festivities, I wasn't in much of a mood to party. Zoe was dead, the Titans were rising, and I probably wouldn't see Thalia in a long time. Besides, the noise gave me a splitting headache, and the crowds were like to drive me mad. I did my best to avoid interacting with the gods too much, especially Demeter, but Apollo found me.

"Hey, kiddo!" he said, putting an arm around my shoulder. "Great to see you still around!"

"Yeah," I muttered.

He frowned. "What's wrong?"

I told him what was bothering me.

"I know it sucks, but Zoe's time had come. She knew what she was doing. There's nothing you could have done."

"That doesn't make it right."

"Maybe not. But it'll get better, and we'll take care of the Titans and everything will be back to normal."

"Then I want my cabin back."

"You have—"

"You know what I'm taking about!" I said. "I want the cabin back, like when I was a kid. I want to go hunting, and to not have to look over my shoulder every five minutes, or get involved with crazy gods and Titans and witches."

He sighed. "I know you do, buddy, trust me, I do, but it isn't possible."

"Why not?"

"Because you're a part of this world now." He paused. "And about Thalia…"

"What about her?"

"It was her choice. Don't blame Artemis for that."

I scowled stubbornly. "I know that."

"Do you?"

"Yes," I lied. _They could have found some other way._

He sighed. "Then I don't know what else to tell you." He looked around. "Look, I'll see you later, 'kay?"

"Sure."

He walked off, leaving me alone. I decided to go get a drink, and headed for the refreshment table. I was swallowing my first gulp of Sprite when someone said, "Hey."

I turned. Thalia was standing there, silver aura surrounding her. _A Hunter already._ "Hi."

"Mind if I join you?"

I shook my head. "Not at all."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

We stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, not saying anything. Then I asked, "Do you feel any different? Being a Hunter, I mean."

"Oh. Um…kinda. The air feels…lighter, like I've been running for a long time and I've finally stopped."

"I see." I took another swallow.

"Hunter…when I agreed to this—"

"You don't need to explain yourself to me, Thalia. It's your life, your choice." I shook my head. "As long as you're happy, I'm happy."

She let out a breath. "That good to hear. You're one of my best friends, Hunter, I don't want to lose that."

I put my goblet down and took her hand. "Never." I smirked. "Long as you don't start thinking us men inferior, that is."

She laughed. "I won't turn out like that, I promise."

"Good." I noticed she hadn't let go of my hand. I gave her fingers a squeeze. She squeezed back.

"Hey," she said. "You wanna dance?"

I said, "Are you allowed to do that?"

"I'm sure Lady Artemis will make an exception for you."

 _Maybe._ "Let's go, then."

She led me onto the dancefloor. We danced for hours—or what seemed like hours, anyway. Sometimes slow songs, sometimes rock, sometimes a mix between the two. We took turns leading, moving gracefully across the floor, careful not to bump into anyone else. I hoped Zeus wouldn't strike me down for dancing with his daughter, but I didn't see him around. Didn't see Artemis, either.

When we finally stopped, we were breathless and sweaty, but happy. "I'd better go find Lady Artemis," Thalia said after a while.

My smile melted, but I replaced it a second later. "That's probably a good idea. I'm gonna go for a walk." I pointed to the elevator.

She frowned. "You're leaving?"

"Only for a little bit. I need to…clear my head. This crowd's driving me crazy."

"Not a big fan of groups?"

"I get along fine with any number of people under twenty, but more than that? No thank you."

She nodded once. "Okay, well, if I don't see you at camp…uh…"

"We'll see each other again in no time," I said.

"Yeah, I'm sure." She gave me a quick hug and said, "If I see Percy or Annabeth, I'll let them know where you are."

"Thank you." Then she was gone.

I watched her disappear into the crowd, then I made for the elevator.

* * *

* The wedding between Zeus and Hera took place before Zeus's affair with Leto, so I see no reason why she wouldn't be there, considering every major Olympian and neutral Titan at the time were present.

** Will be expanded upon in future chapters.

A/N: Okay, everyone, only one chapter left. It'll be a doozy, and I need your help to write it. The next chapter will be completely focused on Hunter and Artemis, so if there's _anything_ you want them to bring up or talk about, let me know. Their interaction will mostly be talking, so don't suggest something like tracking down Orion and Niobe or going on a hunt together. Instead, if you want them to focus on a particular event in the past, let me know. This will be a huge turning point for the two of them, so everything's on the table. If you see someone already asked for what you want to see, ask for it anyway! The more requests I get, the more likely it'll be to get brought up. If you don't want to see anything particular, that's totally fine; please be sure to tell me what you thought of _this_ chapter in a review. I'll probably wait a few days to start writing the net chapter, so expect it in about two weeks.

Bye!


	33. Chapter 33

**The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Thirty-Three: Questions and Answers**

I hadn't intended to run into another immortal, but one surprised me at the elevator.

"Hera."

The goddess frowned. " _Queen_ Hera."

I scowled. I was in no mood to deal with any Olympians, especially _that_ Olympian. "Oh, forgive me, _Your Grace._ " I bowed as sarcastically as I could. "What can I do to serve you? Your wish is my command."

"Mmm. Perhaps Demeter was right about you."

I rose. "And perhaps Jason was right about you."

She surprised me. "How is he?"

I blinked, taken aback. "Um…good?"

"Is that a question?"

"No. Jay's doing fine. Why?"

"I am curious about how…" she looked around, like she was afraid someone might hear "…my son is doing. All is well?"

I admit, I was caught off guard. Hera's preference for "perfect families" was well-known, and Jay was _far_ from perfect. "Yes. He's eating well enough, getting plenty of sleep. He relies too much on brute strength when he fights, but he's getting better."

"Good. Good." Some of the tension eased out of her shoulders. "Thank you for telling me, son of Artemis." She made a face. "Can't say I ever expected to call someone _that._ Ah, well. I must be off, please excuse me." She brushed past me, nose upturned. _Curious._ I wondered what Jay would make of that little encounter.

I shrugged and hit the "down" button.

-o-

The guard at the front desk gave me a look when I stepped out of the elevator, but went back to his reading when he saw I was just a half-blood. I pushed open the doors to the Empire State Building and walked out. Even though it was well into the night by now, there were still a good number of people out—tired-looking employees headed home, men in suits talking on their phones, homeless people looking for a spot to crash for the night. I ignored them all and kept walking, neither in a hurry or moving too slow. The moon was out, and the air smelled crisp from the cold; a good smell, I decided, but marginally less so than the forests. Christmas lights hung from a handful of buildings, and some residences hung wreathes from the windows. I saw a little boy looking out the window at the sky, maybe wondering if Santa Clause was coming early.

That made me smile. Back home, with Leto and the cabin, we'd celebrated Christmas. Apollo hadn't been super happy about that, but once the concept of free presents was revealed, he'd been quick enough to accept. I missed that place; the comfort of being alone, without having to worry about the outside world.

But if I had it back, would Jay and Melony be able to visit? Would Percy and Annabeth? Suddenly the idea of being alone wasn't as comforting.

I wasn't exactly sure how long I walked, or how far, but eventually I found a large apartment building with a view of an intersection below it. I shimmied up the fire escape and climbed onto the roof. Some dead plants were turning grey in pots, and a few tables and chairs had been set up, likely for the summer and just forgotten during winter.

I walked over to the edge of the roof and leaned over it, looking down at the mortals below. They were so…clueless. Clueless about the true nature of the world. Not that I blamed them, of course. Monsters and gods and half-breeds were boggling enough, but to throw in a normal life? It was almost unthinkable. I envied them. Their biggest worries were monthly payments, their jobs, and putting food on the family for their children. They had no idea that a Titan was gathering strength, preparing to destroy their civilizations as they knew it.

I considered what my life could have been if I were a mortal. Artemis and Orion, in this hypothetical world, would be mortals too. So would Apollo, Leto, all the rest. What would that be like? Instead of two bitter enemies, my parents would probably be going through a divorce and custody battle. Niobe would probably either be Orion's lawyer or girlfriend. What would I be like, in that world?

My entire life had been spent in the presence of gods. Would I even be the same? I doubted it. Without monsters and quests, I'd likely be like the regular mortals Percy had told me about; worried about my appearance, grades, social standing, which girl I'd ask out. Or guy, if one caught my attention. I'd never been picky about that sort of thing.

With my mind on the topic of gods, I wondered if the Greeks were the only kind to exist. Certainly other societies like Mesopotamia and Egypt had existed before Greece, but had their gods as well? Or were their gods simply their own interpretations of the Greeks?

My mind drifted to Rome. They had essentially just renamed the gods to suit their new empire. If I called Apollo Phoebus or Leto Latona, would they react? Were there Roman demigods? If there were, where were they? Egyptian demigods? Norse? Aztec? The possibilities were endless. Did the Aztec gods remain, long after their civilizations had been wiped out? Some Greek gods like Selene and Helios faded when the Romans took over, so I reasoned that it was more than likely that they had faded.

But speaking of gods…

"How long have you been standing there?"

For a moment I thought I'd been mistaken, then she said, "Only a moment."

I turned. Artemis was standing there, dressed in jeans, a silver jacket, and combat boots. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She looked tired, with baggy eyes and an almost vacant expression.

"Why are you here, Artemis?"

She moved closer, playing with her fingers. "I…I wanted to see you. I _needed_ to see you?"

"Well, you've seen me, so will you go, or is there more to this little visit?"

"There's more. I wanted to thank you for saving me. You did not have to do that, but I am grateful, all the same." She paused. "Thalia told me about the prophecy. 'One shall die by a parent's hand.' I assumed you thought that referred to you and me?"

"Yes," I said tersely. _Why did you have to bring up Thalia?_

"I would never," she said. "You have my word on that."

"That means _so_ much."

She looked like she was going to say something, then hesitated. "You are angry with me for making Thalia my lieutenant."

"No, I'm not."

"You are. Do you blame me?"

"…No," I said, "not really." I shook my head. "It was that, be the child of the prophecy and possibly end the world, or be killed. Not much of a choice, but it was hers."

"I know."

There was a long pause, like the moment before an arrow is loosed; tense and dread-filled, like at any moment something could go wrong.

"How are you, by the way?"

"Hmm?"

"How are you? I know you and Zoe were close."

She turned her head, closing her eyes to stop the tears. "I am doing all right. Zoe…I wish that I could have done more for her, but it was her time. No good will come of dwelling on the past."

"So you won't mourn her?"

Her eyes blazed. "Of course I will, but I will not wallow in self-pity and depression. Zoe would have preferred to be remembered for her actions, not the manner her passing."

I nodded. "Makes sense, I suppose. I didn't know her very well, I admit, but I'd still like to believe we were friends. And I'll miss her."

"I will too."

Another awkward pause.

"You promised her something."

"What?"

"Before she died, Zoe mentioned a promise you made her. What was it, if you don't mind my asking?"

I took a deep breath. "She asked me to give you a second chance."

"Oh." She honestly sounded surprised. "And…will you?" Some hope had crept into her voice.

I took a step toward her. "Yes, but I'm not doing this alone."

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

I walked past her, to a table and a set of chairs. I pulled one out and took a seat. "Sit down."

She walked over and took a seat across from me. "Now what?"

"Now," I said, "we're going to hash this out. I have _so_ many questions I want to ask you, and I assume you have questions for me?" She nodded. "Good, that should make this so much easier. We're going to sit here and talk. And we're going to ask each other questions. We'll take turns; I ask a question, you answer it, you ask your question, I answer it, repeat. That clear?"

"What if a question in confusing, or one of us needs clarification? Does that count as a question?"

"No. Clarification questions don't count as a turn. For those, we'd explain our question better, then give our answer. Make sense?"

"Yes."

"Good. I need you to promise, Artemis, that you'll be completely honest. No more skeletons in the closet. All in the open. Do you promise?"

"Yes. On the Styx, I promise."

Thunder rumbled overhead.

"I promise too. On the Styx."

A matching rumble signified our promises to one another.

"You may go first, if you like," Artemis said.

I nodded. "Thank you." I thought about it for a short while, which question I wanted answered most. Eventually I decided.

"Why didn't you try and contact me after we first met?"

She took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair. "I should have known you'd ask that first." _Does that disappoint you?_ "Very well. I didn't reach out to you because Olympian law dictates—"

"Don't get coy, Artemis. We both knows the laws are flexible when it comes to this sort of thing. Athena visits her children on their birthdays—maybe in dreams, but still. Aphrodite checks in on her kids from time to time to make sure they're doing okay. Apollo gives out birthday and Christmas presents every year for his children. Hades, even _Ares_ gives his children gifts when they come of age. You were fully capable of reaching out to me, Artemis. You just chose not too."

She looked surprised. Then ashamed. "You are…correct, though the law _was_ a small factor."

"Lie again, and I'm leaving."

"Very well. I didn't see you…because I was afraid."

"So you were a coward?"

Anger flashed across her face. "I have enemies on Olympus, Hunter. Enemies who would like nothing more than to see me hurt. By communicating with you, I would have put you in danger." When she saw the look in my eyes, she sighed. "But those are the excuses I tell myself. Yes, I was a coward. I have…never had a child before. To have one—a boy, nonetheless—suddenly thrust upon me was jarring, to say the least."

I swallowed a lump. "I'm sorry my existence has caused such problems for you."

" _No!_ " she cried, looking aghast. "I didn't mean it that way. I just meant that I'm not used to interacting with boys—"

"—aside from killing them. Or turning them into animals."

"Yes, aside from that. I was unsure about how to respond to you. I'm sorry."

"I…can't forgive you. Not yet."

"I understand." She didn't sound happy, though.

"Maybe if you tried harder, I could."

"What do you mean?"

"You could reach out to me, now and then. Not every day, of course; I understand I'm not your biggest priority right now, but…maybe every few weeks? Nothing too major, just pop in and see how I'm doing. Five minutes at the most."

"If I do that, you can't be rude and sarcastic."

"I can't promise not to be sarcastic, but I'll be nicer. No yelling or anything."

She smiled. "Then I suppose I can stop in every once in a while." She cocked her head to the side. "It's my turn now, yes?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Okay." She tapped her chin with a finger. "Oh! I know." She put both hands on the table. "What was growing up for you like?"

I cocked my head. "What do you mean?"

"I know you grew up with Mother and Apollo, but they never went into great detail about what it was like."

"Oh. Um…" I thought about what to say. "It was…nice, I suppose. We lived in an isolated part of Brasher Falls State Park, we had a cabin, and that's about it."

"That's it?" she echoed.

"I don't really know what you want me to say, Artemis."

"What did you _do_? Did you sit around all day, did you go outside, did you and Apollo ever get into any fights, that sort of thing. On Delos, before we went to Olympus, Apollo would often play practical jokes on me."

I scoffed. "Oh, he did the same thing to me."

"Really?" She leaned in. "Tell me about it."

"Okay, well, this one time he played the water bowl prank."

"Water bowl?"

"You've never heard of it? Okay, so, he got a big bowl of warm water, waited for me to fall asleep, then put my hand in it. Made me wet myself."

"He did not!" she said, aghast.

I laughed. "I got him back, of course."

"Did you now?"

"Mm-hmm. I took out a bunch of his clothes and poured hot sauce over them." I laughed. "He started dancing all over the house, trying to get them off."

She laughed too. "And then what?"

"He shaved my eyebrows. We went back and forth like that, escalating, until Leto finally put her foot down and locked us in a room together. Thought it would help us forgive each other."

"Did it work?"

"No. Half an hour later she walked in on me giving Apollo a wedgie and Apollo giving me a wet willie." I smirked. "She got somad I thought she'd burst a blood vessel or something. She gave me a spanking and sent me to my room without supper." I winced. "Couldn't lay on my back or sit down for a weak. No idea what she did to Apollo, but when he came to apologize that night he looked pretty shaken. We still played the occasional joke on each other, but it never got that intense again." I shuddered. "Your mother's scary when she wants to be."

She nodded. "I'm very aware. She would often have to break up the fights Apollo and I would get up to."

"I hunted, too."

She perked up. "Really?"

"Yes." I summoned my bow. "You don't really think Apollo would name me _Hunter_ and I wouldn't hunt, do you?"

She took my bow and ran her fingers along it. "No, I suppose not. This is very similar to mine, and the bows my Hunters use." She summoned hers and compared the two. "Yours is a little bigger, though."

"Probably because I'm a man," I said. "I'm taller and stronger than most of your Hunters, so it probably wouldn't fit if my bow was their size."

"No," Artemis said, "I suppose not. Is there anything else of mine you've inherited?"

I wasn't sure if that counted as another question, but I let it slide. "I'm not great in crowds, are you like that?"

"To a certain degree. While I am fully capable of operating in large groups, I generally prefer to remain with less than a dozen companions."

"Like your Hunters."

"Yes. I feel most comfortable with them; a small group of individuals I trust absolutely."

I nodded. "I suppose we're similar in that sense, too. Jay, Melony, Percy, Annabeth, Thalia…I'm best if we stick to a small group. Anyone else joins…I have trouble with that."

"And the satyr? Gregor, or—"

"Grover," I said gently. "And…we haven't been particularly close recently."

"I see. How did you—"

I raised my hand. "I think it's my turn now."

She smiled sheepishly. "My apologies. Please, ask away."

I took a deep breath and thought. "My father."

Her small smile melted. "Oh. Well, Hunter, your father…"

"I know who he is."

She looked surprised. "You do?"

I nodded. "He attacked my friends and me shortly after you rescued us from Lycaon. You remember." She nodded. "We were able to fight him off, but…he said some things."

"What sort of things?" I hesitated. "You don't need to fear me, Hunter. I promised to give you the truth, and I meant it. Ask your question, I won't be angry."

I took a breath. "He said…that you two were in love."

I expected her to be angry, to scream and shout and curse, maybe threaten. But she didn't; she just leaned back in her chair and sighed sadly into her lap. "I suppose he would say that."

"Was it true?"

"To a certain extent. What do you know about Orion, Hunter?"

I shrugged. "Not much, honestly. Apollo refused to speak of him, but I was able to get a few details from a Greek mythology book I borrowed from a library one time Leto and I went into the city. And from what Orion himself said."

She nodded. "Go on."

"Orion was…is…a son of Gaea and Tartarus, a gigas, or giant, though some stories claim he was a son of Poseidon, or Poseidon and Zeus and Hermes after they peed on a bull's hide and buried it in the ground."*

Artemis scoffed. "That tale is something my brother made up after Orion's death to discredit him. A fabrication."

"I figured it wasn't true, even before meeting the man himself. Anyway, Orion met the princess Merope, tried to court her, and was blinded afterword by her father. Some versions say he attacked her, but I don't know if that's true. After that, he stumbled upon Hephaestus, who made him a pair of eyes even better than his originals. Then…he met you."

She nodded. "And what then?"

I shook my head. "I'm not certain. Orion said you two became best friends, and that you offered him a place in the Hunt."

Again, she nodded. "That's correct. I was visiting Mother on Delos when I saw him hunting a hind. I knew who he was immediately, but he was no danger to anyone at that point. Well, maybe the deer, but I wasn't about to spoil his hunt. He killed the animal, and was about to feast upon it when I stepped out of the shadows. He was respectful, if a little arrogant. He spoke of hunting a great golden boar that had been seen nearby."

"And did he? Hunt the boar, I mean."

"With my assistance, yes. What? I could hardly pass up the opportunity to hunt such a beast. Together we tracked the boar to its den and slew it. Orion had impressed me so much that I offered him a place in my Hunt. He accepted, and joined us."

"Then he said you two fell in love, but you couldn't act on it because of your maiden vow. Apollo drove him mad inflicted him with the desire to kill all the beasts on Earth; his mother intervened, sent a scorpion to kill him, and he rose from Tartarus sometime later. But when he went to find you and tried to rekindle your relationship, you killed him."

She looked away. "His recollection was…not incorrect. Do not mistake me, Hunter, I did love him. But not in the way he described. I loved him no differently than I loved the rest of my Hunters."

"Like me?" I blurted. I blinked, surprised at myself. _Why would you ask her that?_

But she didn't look upset. Instead, she gave a smile and reached over to squeeze my fingers. "No, Hunter, not like you." Her eyes twinkled. "My love for you is unique to you and you alone."

"So you do love me." Again, I was surprised by myself.

"Of course. You are my son, after all, and a piece of me."

I blushed. "Thank you, my lady."

"I am 'my lady' to my Hunters," she said. "You may call me Artemis. Or Mother, or Mom. Whichever you prefer."

"As you say, Artemis."

Her lips pursed. "Where was I? Oh, yes. Your father was handsome, I will admit; charming, respectful, and eager to please. He was cocky as well, flirting shamelessly with some of my Hunters, but never beyond light teasing. When some of them asked him to stop, he did so immediately." She smiled sadly. "I had hoped that that was the first sign of him taking his role within the Hunt more seriously. We were close, best friends, in fact, but never lovers. I could see his attraction to me growing, but I hoped time would allow those feelings to fade." Her smile grew even sadder. "He decided to give himself space from me, to come to terms with himself. It was then that Apollo struck him with madness."

"Why?" I asked quietly.

She shrugged. "I do not know. Petty jealously, because I gave your father more attention than my brother? Or perhaps he feared I would _fall_ for Orion's flattery, and sought to protect me." She scoffed. "Look how that ended."

"It ended with me being born," I pointed out.

She jumped. "I didn't mean…" She took a breath. "I am…bad at this."

"Only a little bit," I said, a small smile.

She laughed. "Yes, it ended with you being born." She reached over and took my bandaged hand into her own. "And for that, my dear one, I am profoundly grateful."

"Flatterer."

"Mmm. Apollo's madness filled your father with the desire to kill all beasts on the planet. I attempted to stop him, but Gaea acted first. She sent a giant scorpion whose sting was poisonous enough to kill him. I arrived just in time to see him die. Afterword, I put him in the sky." She looked up, but the pollution in the sky made it impossible to see the three close-linked stars of Orion's belt, and the stars that made up his body.

"But he is an immortal," she went on, "and he returned from Tartarus three hundred years later. But when he did, he was…changed, altered."

"Can you blame him?"

"No. Not really. Three centuries in the Pit, and I fear I would be far worse when I returned." Artemis shook her head. "He seemed devoted to rekindling a relationship that had never truly been. Attempts to persuade him of the truth did not reach his ears, and he accused me of lying to him. Things grew heated, and eventually I was forced to kill him, but the damage was done."

"He's insane," I realized then. "And every time he dies he comes back crazier."

She nodded. "Over the millennia Zoe and I have dealt with Orion before, and slain him many times. Now his mind is gone, I fear, and he exists solely to cause me harm."

"That's why he and Niobe made me," I said. "To hurt you."

She nodded. "Yes. Deep down, I would never be able to kill my own child, no matter how dangerous you were. Luckily, my brother is far less predictable than I am."

"I'm going to have to kill him, aren't I? Orion, I mean."

"If I can, I will track him down and deal with him, but he is crafty, and able to avoid me." A pause, then, "Yes, my child, I am afraid you will have to slay him."

"We fought him in New Mexico, Zoe and I. We barely escaped with our lives."

"You will remain safe at Camp Half-Blood. Stay there, and he cannot harm you."

 _It's not that simple,_ I thought, but what I said was, "I hope you're right."

"I usually am," she said. "Now, my darling, I believe it is my turn?"

"Yeah, fire away."

"How did you meet the two half-bloods that were with you when you faced Lycaon?"

That question honestly took me back. "You mean Jason and Melony?"

"Yes."

"Um…shortly I was exiled from camp, I decided to come here because Apollo has a hotel suite a few blocks away, and I knew that he kept weapons and supplies that I might need, so I hopped on a train to get here fast. Jay almost knocked my head off with a gold club."

"Did he?"

"Yeah, but it's all good. He thought I was a monster, so I can't really blame him. Melony had already joined him at that point. He was running away from military school and she was running from the foster care system, so we decided to stick together. Melony was carrying her former-guardian's ashes, and was going to spread them in California. Seeing as there was nothing better to do, we decided to join her." After that I told her about the rest of our adventure, leaving out little details I thought would be better left hidden.

"And you know whose children they are?" she asked after I was done.

 _Tread carefully here._ "I do."

"And will you tell me?"

"No," I said. "It's none of your business."

I expected her to get upset, but she just nodded. "Very well. If you trust them, then I trust them. But…"

I frowned. "What is it?"

"Daphne told me that, along the way, you were captured by a group of mortals and hunted for sport."

I closed my fist. I had intended to leave _that_ part of our adventure out, but Daphne didn't know that. She couldn't be blamed. "I was."

"She also said that while she and your two friends were taken back for later hunts, you were able to escape and rescue them."

"I did."

"Why leave that part out of your story?"

"I didn't think it was relevant. We escaped, and they're all dead."

She inclined her head. "They are?" Her tone was careful.

I cut to the heart of it. "I killed them. Every last one."

"How many?"

"Eight…maybe twelve? I don't know."

She frowned. "You don't know? How can that be?"

"Because they aren't worthy of remembrance, Artemis." Just thinking about those disgusting creatures made me angry. "I gave them quick deaths, they deserved _worse._ "

"How did you kill them?"

"Shot them, drowned them, stabbed them. Fed one to his own dogs." I raised an eyebrow. "You know what that's like, don't you?"

"You refer to Actaeon."

"I do. He deserved to die, and you gave that to him. I did just the same."

"Daphne said there were children present. Did you kill them too?"

"I did. Why do you look so surprised? I told the one in charge—filthy old man, hope he's rotting in Tartarus—that I'd take everything from him, and I did. They won't hurt anyone else."

"Do you regret it?"

"Why should I? They were nothing to me. They threatened to hurt my friends, and if they had grown up, they likely would've hurt just as many people as their parents. Who knows, they might have even gone on to marry each other." I shuddered. "Inbred little bastards. Does that ruffle you, Artemis? Doing what I did? Will you _grieve_ for them?"

"No," she said simply. "The adults deserved to die, just as you said. I am only sad that I did not get a chance at them." For a moment she looked scary. "Perverting my domain in such a way…disgraceful. But the children…I will be honest, I am not proud of what you did, but the past is in the past. I asked because I want to know you, the good and the bad." _You've killed children too,_ I thought, _and for more petty reasons than me._ "What's your question, Hunter?"

I pulled back my sleeve. "What does this mean?"

She looked at my mark for a long while and said, "I do not know."

I pushed my chair back and began to storm toward the fire escape.

" _Wait!"_ came a frantic cry.

I turned my head. "You said you'd tell the truth, you _promised._ "

"I know, I know," came her hurried response. From the way her eyes looked, she was borderline desperate. "Just, sit down and I'll explain. Please, Hunter. Don't leave. Please."

I went back and sat down. "What—does this—mean?"

"I don't know what it _means_ "—she seized my wrist before I could get up—"but I know what it is."

"…Well?"

"It's the mark of a skinwalker, a brand that helps awaken one's latent abilities. It means something else to nymphs, if Lia were here she could tell you."

"Who?"

"One of my Hunters," she explained. "A dryad. She'd know what it means."

"She'd be just as likely to call me an abomination."

"She won't," Artemis said, voice like the cracking of ice. "None of my Hunters will while in my presence."

"Why do they call me that? At first I thought it was because I was your son, but…"

"It is because of the actions of your predecessors. I don't know most of their history, but I do know that the first skinwalkers were considered lucky, for they could communicate with nature like nobody else. They were nymphs, and only one in one thousand were given the gift. But they soon grew out of control. They began to grow even stronger, until they could even control other _nymphs_ through their connection to the trees. Such a thing—controlling, dominating another's mind completely, not just influencing, but suppressing it—is accursed, to the nymphs. They began to hunt down and kill the skinwalkers wherever they could find them. But by that point some mortals had learned the gift, and using it."

"How did they get it?"

"I do not know. I was never overly concerned with such things; they were always Pan and Demeter's spheres of influence."

"So that's why Demeter hates me," I realized.

"Yes," Artemis said. "She believes you will become just like those who came before."

"And what if I do?"

"You won't."

"But—"

" _You won't_ ," she said firmly. She reached over the table and cupped my cheeks. "I know you won't."

"How?"

"Because you are my son. Who they were is not who you will be. You can be better. You _will_ be better. I know it."

Such a ringing endorsement left me blushing. "Thank you, Artemis. That…actually means a lot." I swallowed. "I don't have any more questions that I can think of, but…if I have more, I can ask you…next time?"

She smiled. "Of course. I will be looking forward to it."

"Do you have any more questions?"

"One." There was along pause brimming with awkwardness.

"Well?"

She took a deep breath and looked into my eyes. "Can I hug you?"

My eyebrows shot to my forehead. "Oh." Another awkward pause. "What if I say no?"

"I'll be upset," she admitted, "but I wouldn't force you. I don't want you to be uncomfortable around me, Hunter. I want us to be better."

"I want that too," I said softly, hoping she wouldn't make me say it again. She didn't. After a third, even _longer_ pause, I slowly got up. She looked at me, eyes shining. I moved back and held out my arms. "Come on, then."

She got up, grinning, and moved closer to me. She came slowly, like she was afraid I'd tuck tail and run if she moved too quickly. "Today would be nice."

She laughed. "My apologies," she said, wrapping her arms around my midsection. I slowly put my arms around her as well, still nervous. She nuzzled into my shoulder, letting out a sigh through her nose. She squeezed.

We stood like that for a long while, not saying anything. Despite everything that happened between us, the fights, the arguments, the silences, this still felt nice. _Right,_ even. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

"I'm sorry too," she said, voice muffled by my jacket.

Some distance away, a clock struck twelve. Midnight. Artemis leaned up and kissed my cheek. I gasped, surprised. I didn't pull away though.

"Happy birthday, my dear child," she said.

I blinked. "You remembered?"

"Of course. You are my son, after all. Your birthday is very important to me."

A smile tugged at my lips. "Did you get me anything?"

She laughed. "Sadly, no. I was a little too tied up to go shopping, but I promise next year will be worth it."

I laughed. "Hopefully. You have to make up fifteen other ones too."

"Mmm. So I do."

Being there, in her arms, laughing, felt nice. Like I was always meant to be there. Maybe I should have given her a chance long ago; we could have saved ourselves a lot of hurt. But that didn't matter now. The past was in the past, and we had the future to make things right. We wouldn't go back to how we were, not again.

We'd be better.

* * *

* Yes, there is seriously a version where that's Orion's birth.

A/N: So…how was that? Good, bad, cheesy, tear-jerking, let me know. Don't be afraid to leave a review and let me know. Also ask any questions you might have had; I promise to answer them next chapter.

I'll be taking the next week off, but then I'll be back with _The Battle of the Labyrinth._ Hunter, Jay, and Melony will be delving into the depths below the Earth in search of answers to Hunter's potential, and deal with some old enemies as well. I'll see you then.

Bye!


	34. Chapter 34

Bushy: With Artemis being the goddess of virginity, you would think that even with Hunter being bi he wouldn't really feel attracted to anyone?

That is the obvious route and a lot of fanfic writers do that, but I was never a huge fan of the son-of-Artemis-is-asexual-just-like-her trope. It feels a bit cliché, so I distanced myself from it. Besides, Hunter isn't Artemis's clone; he's gonna have different personality/characteristics than her.

Hercule: Can you use words other than abomination when others are referring to Hunter?

Sure! They won't be as prevalent as abomination, but I'll definitely start using other words.

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Thirty-Four: Matches**

The sun was rising high, and Camp Half-Blood was in full swing.

Nearly everyone had arrived a few days ago for the summer, so the cabins were almost full to bursting. The Ares and Athena cabins were in the sword-fighting arena with our new instructor Quintus, the Hephaestus cabin was at their forge, and I was locked in a battle of skill with Lee Fletcher of the Apollo cabin.

"You're slipping."

"C'mon, Lee, me? You must be on something."

"Something called victory, cuz."

I rolled my eyes. We were at the archery stands, firing at targets spaced three hundred feet back. The Apollo kids _freaked_ at the news of my claiming. Since they hadn't been here in the winter, they got the news when they arrived; Lee and Will had been the first, and they promptly tracked me down for a lengthy interrogation. The rest of their cabin was told when they trickled in, and had taken the news rather well.

And by "well" I mean that they _insisted_ that I join them for nearly every activity they were involved in. I managed to talk them down from that, but they still roped me into archery at the very least. They also took to calling me "cousin," or some variation of the word. When I first arrived they all assumed I'd be a half-brother to them. Apparently cousin is just as exciting.

We fired another round of arrows.

"I think yours was a little off, cousin," I said, smirking. "Give up now and I promise not to rub it in too much."

He scoffed. "I've got you in the ropes."

"Only ropes I see are the ones I'm gonna need to tie my hand behind my back, make it a little more even for you."

"Keep dreaming, pretty boy."

Around us, Kayla was helping Will adjust his footing. Kid was more of a medic than an archer, but he was determined all the same. Austin was showing a new girl—Sasha, I think her name was—how to properly stand when shooting the bow. Poor girl was smaller than the weapon in her hands. The rest of the Apollo cabin were lazily shooting their own arrows into their respective targets.

We nocked another arrow each when the horn blew, signaling it was time to change activities. Lee sighed and lowered his bow. "Damn." He turned to me. "Well shot."

"You too, cousin," I said back. "You almost had me a few times."

"As did you. You're still gonna be on our team for capture the flag, right?"

"Of course."

"Great! It's gonna be awesome." He put his bow on his back and called, "Apollo cabin, with me," leading the rest of his siblings away. I waved to Will and Kayla on their way out. Then I put my bow away and headed for the combat arena. I shared sword practice with the Hermes cabin, though I most often practiced with Mel, Jay, and the di Angelos. The children of Hades had improved greatly in the time since their arrival at camp. For the first few weeks they had been afraid of their powers—well, Bianca more so than Nico—and were wary of using them. But with a little guidance from my little group of friends, they had truly come a long way.

We've been training them in secret, trying to make sure nobody else, not even Chiron, knows about their true nature. At the moment they can manipulate stones and rocks, but nothing larger than that. Bianca tried to lift a boulder a few weeks ago and passed out for half a day. They've also been attracting things. Most of the time it's shadows; the darkness will be drawn to them, like hands reaching for salvation. One even sucked Nico up one day, only to spit him back out a few minutes later. The boy claimed he appeared at the other end of camp, and subsequently dubbed his experience "shadow traveling," like hellhounds can do. Bianca was jealous that she couldn't do that too, and she's been trying so hard, but no luck yet. She does outclass her brother when it comes to necromancy. The first time she saw Winter kill a squirrel, she was so shocked that she inadvertently called the animal's spirit back into its body. It died a second time a few seconds later, but she was determined to master that skill. Since then she's acted as a sort of beacon for ghosts, constantly calling them to her. We've gotten lucky so far; none of them have appeared in public, though there have been several close calls.

The Hermes cabin had already arrived by the time I strolled into the arena. The new instructor, Quintus, was off to the side, teaching some of the younger campers the right way to grip their swords and the proper stances. His hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary, was chewing on a training dummy. When Chiron first introduced Quintus and his pet to the camp, there had been lots of unease about the hellhound; after all, hellhounds tried to kill demigods at nearly every opportunity, and _this_ hellhound was _huge._ But Quintus made sure to calm everyone's nerves, and she didn't stray far from his side, so there was no immediate danger.

Winter didn't share our fears, however. She and Mrs. O'Leary got along like two peas in a pod. They played together almost every day, and though the hellhound dwarfed her, Winter was still large enough that the could give as much as she got.

I passed Travis and Connor Stoll hacking at each other, then gave a wave to Steven as he was picking out a weapon.

"You," Melony said as I approached, "are late."

I held my hands up. "My apologies. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Maybe if you dropped the attitude," she said, not unkindly.

"Then I guess you'll be angry with me for a long time." I nodded. "Jay, Bianca, Nico. You all having a good day so far?"

Bianca shrugged. "Yeah, you?"

I forced a smile. "Fine."

Jay and Mel weren't fooled, though. "What's wrong? Another dream?"

I sighed. "Yeah. Same one." For the past several weeks I'd always have the same dream: the ugly crow would be perched on Zeus's Fist saying "Come," over and over. I had no idea what that meant; I'd been to the place over thirty times since, and hadn't seen the crow once.

"I'm sure it'll become clear soon. I haven't seen much in the fire. Sorry."

I waved a hand. "It's not your fault. What have you seen, if you don't mind my asking?"

She shrugged. "Little and less. A tree covered in snow, an underground stream, a tunnel leading on and on. Any idea what that means?"

"No clue. And you, Jay? You doing all right?"

"Well enough," he said, in a tone that brokered no follow-up.

"All right," Melony said, "grab a sword and we can get started."

I went to the table and picked up a slender training sword. The weapon had never been my first pick (my daggers or bow took that spot, depending on the situation), but after my fight with Anna and Atlas, I realized how lacking I was. Knives were good for close combat, and bows gave me range, but they were both useless if I was dealing with a full-armored foe screaming for blood.

"Now," the daughter of Hestia said, "each of you, get into an offensive stance."

Melony, being the most experienced when it came to swordplay, was our instructor. Normally we'd pair up, trade blows, and she'd walk around us making sure we were doing everything right. Today I was paired up with Bianca.

"You ready?" I asked.

"Mm-hmm," she said, and we touched swords, took a few steps back, and began. Nothing too dangerous, of course; we weren't actually fighting.

"You heard anything from your dad?" I asked.

"No." She slid to the left and cut at my leg. I parried and slid her blade to the side. "He seems to be ignoring us."

"I know what that's like." She ducked under the swing I sent at her head, clacked our swords together, then moved back. "Don't take it personally."

"I won't." She lost her footing, stumbled, then caught herself. "You talk to your mom recently?"

"Not since last time." Since December, Artemis had been popping in periodically to check in. Two times in the form of a dream, and another in person. We went out to lunch. It was nice. The news she told me wasn't. Luke had survived his clash with Thalia, daughter of Zeus, and was traveling aboard his ship, the _Princess Andromeda._ Poseidon was doing his best to sink it, but the old sea deities were working against him, keeping the ship safe. Anna, my old friend, was with him.

"Where's Annabeth?"

I feinted right, went left, and gave the girl a push. She stumbled, then caught herself and whipped around. "She went to visit Percy." I grinned wickedly. "They have a _date._ "

" _What?_ " She was so surprised lowered her sword, meaning that it was unable to stop my sword from whacking her across the head. "Ow!"

I jumped. "Sorry!"

She put a hand to her mouth. It came away red. "I'm bleeding," she said, eyes watering.

I took a step forward. "I—"

"Bianca!"

Nico came running over to check on his sister. When he saw her blood, he whirled on me, giving me his best shove. "Don't touch her! What's your problem?"

"I—"

"Here." Melony passed her one of the small squares of ambrosia we always kept on hand. "Eat this."

"What's wrong with you?" Nico demanded, face contorted in anger.

Bianca put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Nico. It was an accident. I'm fine, see?" She opened her mouth and showed him that the ambrosia had done its job.

"Oh." Nico looked abashed. "Sorry."

I waved a hand. "Don't worry about it." I looked at his sister. "I'm sorry too."

"It's fine," she said, poking inside her mouth with a finger. "Nothing that can't be fixed with a little god food." She grinned up at me. "Now tell me _everything_ about Percy and Annabeth."

"What's going on between Percy and Annabeth?" Nico asked.

"They're going on a date."

"What?" Nico asked, while Melony let out a faint, _"No,_ " a looked of shocked happiness. Then she pumped her arms and yelled, "Yes! Pay up, Jay."

I blinked. "Pay?"

"Hold on," the son of Hera said, "are you _sure_ it's a date?"

"Like, ninety-six percent. Annabeth kept insisting, 'It's not a date, it's not a date,' but then I was like, 'Beth, you're wearing your nicest camp clothes, you're going with him—alone—to the movies, and you've been preparing for this for the past week. You're going on a date with Percy'."

"Ha!" came Melony's reply. "Suck it, you frowny sourpuss!" She held out her hand, and he dropped a handful of gold drachmas into it.

"You two were _betting_ on them?"

"Of course. Jay said they'd _never_ go for it, but I knew they would eventually."

I laughed. "I guess this means you'll lay off the gambling, eh, Jay?"

"Shove it, Hunter," he grumbled.

"Love you too, buddy." I noticed Nico looked sad. "You okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just…thinking about something else." Bianca put a hand on his back subtly; but not subtly enough.

 _He probably has a crush on Annabeth,_ I thought. _He'll get over that soon enough._ Or at least I hoped he would. If he started getting jealous of Percy…after seeing him and Thalia fight, a Nico-Percy rivalry wasn't something I was looking forward to.

"Hey—"

The horn blew.

"Hermes cabin," Connor called hurriedly. "Let's go, move it, move it, move it!"

I cocked an eyebrow, then saw my four companions moving like their pants were on fire, hurrying to put their things away. "What's going on?"

"Cabin inspection is today," Bianca said.

"Ah." Cabin inspection meant one counselor went around to each cabin and ranked them from tidiest to messiest. Tidiest got certain privileges, while messiest had extra chores for the week. The Hermes cabin, being the most populated, usually had the messiest cabin. It was one of the reasons I enjoyed having my own cabin; I was almost always in top five cleanest.

"Come on, come on!" Travis called, running out of the arena, his brother hot on his tail. His cabinmates rushed after him.

"Shouldn't you start cleaning too?" Melony called to me.

"Why should I?"

"Because Selina's the one doing the inspections."

"S-Selina." My expression morphed from one of cocky amusement to abject horror. Selina Beauregard is, hands down, the _worst_ inspector of the bunch. Always quick to point out every little thing out of place, like they were a personal insult to her. I wasn't sure if it was an Aphrodite thing, an OCD thing, or some hell-born mix of the two, but she had it _bad._

I put my things away and sprinted to my cabin.

* * *

A/N: I know this wasn't the most engaging chapter, but I promise it'll get better from here. Leave a review telling me what you thought, as well as any questions you might have. I promise to answer them next chapter, which should be dropping some time next week. Till then, I hope you enjoyed.

Bye!


	35. Chapter 35

Guest: i know you probably are gearing up for the 4th book here, but before the quest stuff happens and that will be the next 10-15 chapter, maybe a fan-service chapter or 2? Like relaxing at the Beach, using Powers for nonsense, like maybe a game of tag, we have Percy water-bending, di angels running in shadows, Hunter parkouring all over the place. Or maybe taking an off day to the City, mingling with morals (in the funny sense, not the rated 18 sense) maybe stumbling upon someone or a monster or something?

Also, I was wondering, does Hunter have any other Powers from Artemis? Like he is the child of 2 hunting deities, and he's only slightly better at archery then the Apollo Kids? I mean he have the beast mark, but can he like control the moon to a slight degree? Or does his mother domain react to his feelings like it does Percy? Does the Woods run wild when he is angry, does the moon turn blue or red in response to Emotions like fury and happiness?

And my final question, being born of two deities of different species (even if by essence) make him a god/Giant? Or is he like 2/3 god? Or just regular demis?

Okay, lot to unpack here. For your first question, no, I don't plan on writing any fan-service or filler chapters. Everything I write for this story will be relevant to the plot, but I do have another story called "Hardships" that's basically just a series of one-shots for this story, so leave a review telling me what sort of one-shot you want and I'll do my best to make it happen.

Hunter's main abilities that he inherited from Artemis include his enhanced speed (being the fastest demigod we've seen), his strength (though not as great as a child of Ares's or Jay), his marksmanship, and tracking skills. He has a few other ones that have been referenced once or twice like his ability to walk almost silently, the ability to see perfectly in the dark, and water walking (which he got from Orion). Hunter has many more abilities that will be introduced later on in this story, but he doesn't have access to them right now because he either has no training with them, and because Apollo and Leto have been suppressing them since he was a child so he wouldn't accidentally draw Artemis's attention. (But no, he cannot control the moon or change its color depending on his mood, because that would likely throw the entire world into chaos if the moon suddenly started changing colors on a whim.)

Finally, Hunter is a demigod. Because a child of a giant and goddess has never been seen before (though I do have a few theories about Periboia), Niobe and Orion were afraid the baby would be "unstable" and die prematurely, or his presence would be immediately sensed by Olympus and their plans would be ruined. So they placed Artemis and Orion's combined essences into Niobe, letting her carrying the baby to term and making him mortal in the process. But because of his parentage, he's still incredibly powerful (likely only outmatched by children of the Big Three and beings of a higher caliber).

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Thirty-Five: The Depths**

I burst through my cabin door, panting. _Why Selina?_ I thought. _Why not Beckendorf, or Katie, or Travis?_ Heck, even Clarisse would have been a better option.

Winter perked up at my entrance from my bed. She liked to sleep there, even though there were close to two dozen other beds; worse, she liked to sleep _right in the middle_ of the bed, so I had to either wiggle my way under her or sleep with half my body hanging off the bed.

"Up," I commanded. She lowered her head, blinking at me. " _Up,_ " I said more firmly. She gave a little rumble in the back of her head and kept looking at me. _Desperate times…_

I reach to my nightstand and picked up her favorite toy—a little rubber hot dog I'd asked the Stolls to get for me. She loved it, practically took it everywhere. Winter raised her head, eyes wide.

I slowly walked to the door. She followed me with her eyes. I opened the door, and she growled a little. I pulled my arm back. The wolf picked herself up, daring me to do it. I threw it as hard as I could, yelled "Fetch!" and threw myself to the side as she raced out the door. I slammed it shut behind her, sighing. _Such a drama queen._

I went to my bed and examined it, searching for hairs she might have left behind. Unfortunately, there were a lot. I sighed and began picking them off slowly. There was a scraping at the door, and I opened the window to find Winter, hot dog in mouth, pawing at it, trying to get in.

"No," I said. "Stay."

She let out a whimper, spun in circles, and plopped herself down, chewing on her toy. At ease that she would be entertained for a few hours, I set about cleaning the place.

I admit, it was nice being in the Artemis cabin; lots of space, no loud roommates, and solitude. It was almost like home, though Leto wasn't here to make grilled cheese and Apollo didn't visit. I missed it, even after all this time. Still, this little silver cabin was my home now, no point aching about the past.

It only took me about an hour to get everything nice and neat, though there was still a small layer of dust on the walls that would take a long time to get out. I decided to ignore that for now. Inspections wouldn't be till after lunch, so I had time. I went to open the door and found Winter waiting for me. "Sorry, puppy, but you got to stay out here till the mean lady's done. Little longer, I promise." She gave a sad whimper.

I chewed my lip. _A little distraction couldn't hurt; an hour tops._ "C'mon, we're going for a walk."

She perked right up, tail wagging. I shut the door and led her out. We were halfway to the forest when I saw someone I wasn't expecting until much later. "Percy!"

He looked like he was walking toward the sword arena, but he stopped at the sound of my voice. "Hunter!"

I jogged up to him, Winter loping at my heels. "What are you doing here so soon? I thought your date wouldn't be over until later."

He blushed. "It wasn't a date."

"You were going to the movies, alone, with a girl. A girl who spent a week worrying about what she was going to wear. It was a date, Percy."

"You sound like my mother," he muttered. "And…it didn't go well."

"Oh? Tell me about it."

As we walked toward the arena, Percy told me what happened—two empousai, the offspring of Hecate, attacked him at his school's orientation; a girl named Rachel who could see through the Mist had helped him, but the commotion caused a fire that likely got him expelled; and to top it all off, Annabeth had seen Rachel with him and overreacted.

"Then she said she needed to talk to Clarisse," Percy finished.

I nodded. "They've been working together on some secret project."

"Do you know what it's about?"

"Oh, of course, Percy. 'Secret project' is just a codeword we use around here for 'open information.'"

He scowled. "No need to—" He stopped in his tracks, face white.

"That's just Mrs. O'Leary," I explained. The big hellhound was sitting across from us. Winter gave a bark of excitement and ran over to her. The hound picked its head up and excitedly ran to meet her play-partner. They rolled over one another, wrestling for dominance.

"You…you domesticated a hellhound?"

"Me? Gods no. She's Quintus's. Quintus!"

The grey-haired man stepped out of the utility closet wearing full armor and carrying a training dummy under one arm. "Yes?"

"Percy Jackson, Quintus. Quintus, Percy Jackson."

They shook hands. "Pleased to meet you, Percy. I've heard some interesting things."

"All good, I promise. Unless it was a bad thing, then it's wrong."

Quintus laughed. "Good to know."

"So…How did you, um—?"

"—get a hellhound for a pet? Long story, involving many close calls with a death and quite a few giant chew toys. I'm the new sword instructor, by the way. Helping out Chiron while Mr. D is away."

"Oh." Mrs. O'Leary had won the wrestling match, and was no playing tug-of-war with Winter over a practice dummy. "Wait, Mr. D is away?" Percy asked.

"Yes, well…busy times. Even Dionysus must help out. He's gone to visit some old friends. Make sure they're on the right side. I probably shouldn't say more than that."

Off to my left, there was a loud _BUMP_. Six wooden crates the size of picnic tables were stacked nearby, and they were rattling. Mrs. O'Leary cocked her head and bounded toward them.

"Whoa, girl!" Quintus said. "Those aren't for you." He distracted her with the bronze shield Frisbee.

"Winter, here," I said. My wolf came bounding over, panting. She laid down at my feet and went to sleep.

The crates thumped and shook. There were words printed on the sides:

TRIPLE G RANCH

FRAGILE

THIS END UP

Along the bottom, in smaller letters:

OPEN WITH CARE.

TRIPLE G RANCH IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE, MAIMING, OR EXCRUCIATINGLY PAINFUL DEATHS.

"What's in the boxes?" I asked.

"A little surprise," Quintus said. "Training activity for tomorrow night. You'll love it."

"Uh, okay," I said, though I wasn't sure about the "excruciatingly painful death" part.

Quintus threw the bronze shield, and Mrs. O'Leary lumbered after it. "You young ones need more challenges. They didn't have camps like this when I was a boy."

"You—you're a half-blood?" Percy sounded surprised, not that I blamed him. Half-Bloods older than twenty-five were astoundingly rare; maybe one in a hundred.

Quintus chuckled. "Some of us do survive into adulthood, you know. Not all of us are the subject of terrible prophecies."

"You know about my prophecy?"

"I've heard a few things."

Percy looked like he wanted to ask more, but just then Chiron clip-clopped into the arena. "Percy, there you are! Ah, Hunter too."

He must've just come from teaching archery. He had a quiver and bow slung over his _#1 CENTAUR_ T-shirt. He'd trimmed his curly brown hair and beard for the summer, and his lower half, which was a white stallion, was flecked with mud and grass.

"I see you've met our new instructor." Chiron's tone was light, but there was an uneasy look in his eyes.

"Quintus, do you mind if I borrow these two?"

"Not at all, Master Chiron."

"No need to call me 'Master,'" Chiron said, though he sounded sort of pleased. "Come, Percy. We have much to discuss. You too, Hunter."

I whistled. Winter opened her eyes, yawned, and stood up, though she didn't look very pleased at having her rest interrupted.

"Well, see you," Percy told Quintus.

As we were walking away, Percy whispered to Chiron, "Quintus seemed kind of—"

"—mysterious?" Chiron suggested. "Hard to read?"

"Yeah."

Chiron nodded. "A very qualified half-blood. Excellent swordsman, I just wish I understood…" Whatever he was going to say, he apparently changed his mind. "First things first, Percy. Annabeth told me you met some empousai."

"Yeah." He told him about the fight at Goode High School, and how one of them had exploded into flames.

"Mmm," Chiron said. "The more powerful ones can do that. She did not die, Percy. She simply escaped. It is not good that the she-demons are stirring."

"What were they doing there?" Percy asked. "Waiting for me?"

"Possibly," Chiron frowned. "It is amazing you survived. Their powers of deception…almost any male hero would've fallen under their spell and been devoured."

"Not me," I muttered, but I was ignored.

"I would've been," Percy admitted. "Except for Rachel."

Chiron nodded. "Ironic to be saved by a mortal, yet we owe her a debt. What the empousa said about an attack on camp—we must speak of this further. But for now, come, we should get to the woods. Grover will want you there."

"Where?"

"At his formal hearing," Chiron said grimly. "The Council of Cloven Elders is meeting now to decide his fate."

-o-

Chiron said we needed to hurry, so he gave us a ride on his back, Winter hurrying on beside us. As we galloped past the cabins, I glanced at the dining hall—an open-air Greek pavilion on a hill overlooking the sea. It brought back bad memories.

After our return from the quest to save Artemis, a group of reanimated skeletons attacked us there. Percy, Annabeth, and I had almost been killed before the di Angelos saved us by opening a large crack in the ground. That's how we were certain they were children of Hades; after that, we swore them to secrecy. The only ones who knew were the four who were on the quest to save Annabeth and Artemis, Mel and Jay, and the di Angelos themselves.

Chiron plunged into the woods. Nymphs peeked out of the trees to watch us pass. Large shapes rustled in the shadows—monsters that were stocked in here as a challenge to the campers.

I thought I knew the forest pretty well after playing capture the flag and hunting here for almost three years, but Chiron took us a way I didn't recognize, through a tunnel of old willow trees, past a little waterfall, and into a glade blanketed with wildflowers.

A bunch of satyrs were sitting in a circle in the grass. Grover stood in the middle, facing three really old, really fat satyrs who sat on topiary thrones shaped out of rose bushes. I'd never seen the three old satyrs before, but they must have been the Council of Cloven Elders.

Grover seemed to be telling them a story. He twisted the bottom of his T-shirt, shifting nervously on his goat hooves. He hadn't changed much since last winter, maybe because satyrs age half as fast as humans. His acne had flared up. His horns had gotten a little bigger so they just stuck out over his curly hair.

Standing off to one side of the circle were Annabeth, another girl I'd never seen before, and Clarisse. Chiron dropped us next to them.

Clarisse's stringy brown hair was tied back with a camouflage bandanna. If possible, she looked even buffer, like she'd been working out. She glared at Percy and muttered, "Punk." She just gave me a sidelong glance.

Annabeth had her arm around the other girl, who looked like she'd been crying. She was petite, with wispy hair the color of amber and a pretty, elfish face. She wore a green chiton and laced sandals, and she was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. "It's going terribly," she sniffled.

"No, no," Annabeth patted her shoulders. "He'll be fine, Juniper."

Annabeth looked at us and mouthed the words _Grover's girlfriend_.

I didn't know Grover had a girlfriend. He always seemed the sort to be tongue-tied whenever he talked to the opposite sex. Still, it was good he'd found someone. I wished them the best.

"Master Underwood!" the council member on the right shouted, cutting off whatever Grover was trying to say. "Do you seriously expect us to believe this?"

"B-but Silenus," Grover stammered. "It's the truth!"

The Council guy, Silenus, turned to his colleagues and muttered something. Chiron cantered up to the front and stood next to them. I remembered he was an honorary member of the council, but I'd never thought about it much. These old men didn't look very impressive. I wasn't sure why Grover seemed so nervous.

Silenus tugged his yellow polo shirt over his belly and adjusted himself on his rosebush throne. "Master Underwood, for six months— _six_ _months_ — we have been hearing these scandalous claims that you heard the wild god Pan speak."

"But I did!"

"Impudence!" said the elder on the left.

"Now, Maron," Chiron said. "Patience."

"Patience, indeed!" Maron said. "I've had it up to my horns with this nonsense. As if the wild god would speak to…to him."

I scowled. Who were these old men, to claim that Pan wouldn't speak to Grover. He'd done more searching in the last year than those three had in their entire lives combined, I'd imagine. Winter must have sensed my frustration, because she curled her lips back and growled.

All the nature spirits present flinched, then paled.

The goat in the center of the council slammed his hand on the table and surged to his feet. "Abomination! How dare you show your face here, in this sacred place?"

I scoffed. "Sacred? Please, what I found in the toilet this morning is more sacred than this place."

"Blasphemy!" cried the council member on the right. "You have no business here, so take your…creature…and go."

I balled my hand into a fist. _Nobody_ talked bad about my wolf. "Why don't you come over here and _make_ us leave, you fat old man."

He purpled, so enraged that he couldn't get a word out.

"Hunter," Chiron said gently. "Why don't you wait outside until this is over?"

"No."

He blinked. "N-no?"

"No," I repeated. "I'm not leaving until this is done. Grover's my friend, you can't make me go."

"Friend," said the satyr on the left, like the word was poison to his ears. "This…thing…is your friend, Master Underwood?"

Grover blanched. "I—W-well—"

"Enough!" cried the satyr in the middle. "I'll not hear anymore of this! You have wasted our time, Grover Underwood, speaking nonsense of Pan and your false scent of him, and now we find that you are friends with a beastling? I will not have it. No true satyr would dare make friends with such a monster."

"Oh, monster, is it?" I mused quietly, examining my nails and imagining all manner of bloody vengeance. "Perhaps you should speak to me more respectfully, then. Monsters are dangerous, especially when provoked."

The entire clearing was stunned silent, and my friends were looking at me like I'd gone mad, but Chiron said, "Friends, please. This isn't woodland justice. Let the hearing continue; Hunter will remain quiet, and won't interfere with the outcome."

The satyr in the middle gave me a dark look and said, "Very well. Let us continue." He turned his attention back to Grover.

"For six months," Silenus continued, "we have indulged you, Master Underwood. We let you travel. We allowed you to keep your searcher's license. We waited for you to bring proof of your preposterous claim. And what have you found in six months of travel?"

"I just need more time," Grover pleaded.

"Nothing!" the elder in the middle chimed in. "You have found nothing."

"But, Leneus —"

Silenus raised his hand. Chiron leaned in and said something to the satyrs. The satyrs didn't look happy. They muttered and argued among themselves, but Chiron said something else, and Silenus sighed. He nodded reluctantly.

"Master Underwood," Silenus announced, "we will give you one more chance."

Grover brightened. "Thank you!"

"One more week."

"What? But sir! That's impossible!"

"One more week, Master Underwood. And then, if you cannot prove your claims, it will be time for you to pursue another career. Something to suit your dramatic talents. Puppet theater, perhaps. Or tap dancing."

"But sir, I—I can't lose my searcher's license. My whole life—"

"This meeting of the council is adjourned," Silenus said. "And now let us enjoy our noonday meal!"

The old satyr clapped his hands, and a bunch of nymphs melted out of the trees with platters of vegetables, fruits, tin cans, and other goat delicacies. The circle of satyrs broke and charged the food.

Grover walked dejectedly toward us. His faded blue T-shirt had a picture of a satyr on it. It read _GOT HOOVES?_

"Hi, Percy," he said, so depressed he didn't even offer to shake his hand. "That went well, huh?"

"Those old goats!" Juniper said. "Oh, Grover, they don't know how hard you've tried!"

"There is another option," Clarisse said darkly.

"No. No." Juniper shook her head. "Grover, I won't let you."

His face was ashen. "I—I'll have to think about it. But we don't even know where to look."

"What are you talking about?" Percy asked.

In the distance, a conch horn sounded.

Annabeth pursed her lips. "I'll fill you in later, Percy. We'd better get back to our cabins. Inspection is starting."

-o-

The rest of the day went off without a hitch. Selina had given me an okay score—better than Hermes but still worse than Athena—and Percy's cyclops brother Tyson showed up and would be staying for the summer. I asked him to fix up some armor I'd gotten (stygian iron boots and greaves that cost a small fortune on —luckily I still had Apollo's credit card, though he _thoroughly_ chewed me out for it later). It was all banged up and dinted, but Tyson agreed to fix it as soon as possible.

He told us about his life under the sea, how the forges of Poseidon were, and the type of stuff he was used to crafting. Grover was depressed after the meeting, and seemed to be a million miles away.

When I dreamed that night, I was standing in front of Zeus's Fist.

"Come down," the ugly crow said.

"I don't know what that means!" I protested. "Show me, please."

"Come down," it said again.

"Show me!" I screamed. "Show me and I'll do it, I promise. Just show me!" But it didn't. I woke late in the night, panting and frustrated. Then I slipped inside Winter and caught a few squirrels. Being with her always helped soothe me. I slept the rest of the night without any dreams.

The next morning there was a lot of excitement at breakfast.

Apparently around three in the morning an Aethiopian drakon had been spotted at the borders of camp. The magical boundaries had kept the monster out, but it prowled the hills, looking for weak spots in our defenses, and it didn't seem anxious to go away until Lee led a couple of his siblings in pursuit. After a few dozen arrows lodged in the chinks of the drakon's armor, it got the message and withdrew.

"It's still out there," Lee warned us during announcements. "Twenty arrows in its hide, and we just made it mad. The thing was thirty feet long and bright green. It's eyes—" he shuddered.

"You did well, Lee," Chiron patted him on the shoulder. "Everyone stay alert, but stay calm. This has happened before."

"Aye," Quintus said from the head table. "And it will happen again. More and more frequently."

The campers murmured among themselves.

Everyone knew the rumors: Luke and his army of monsters were planning an invasion of the camp. Most of us expected it to happen this summer, but no one knew how or when. It didn't help that our attendance was down. We only had about eighty campers. A few years ago there had been more than a hundred. Some had died. Some had joined Luke. Some had just disappeared.

"This is a good reason for new war games, "Quintus continued, a glint in his eyes. "We'll see how you all do with that tonight."

"Yes…" Chiron said. "Well, enough announcements. Let us bless this meal and eat." He raised his goblet. "To the gods."

We all raised our glasses and repeated the blessing.

I hurried up to the brazier, conscious of all the eyes on me. Even though I'd been here for years, my recently-revealed connection of Artemis was still an oddity, especially for the newly-returned campers.

I scraped some of my bacon into the coals and said, "Hey, Apollo. Sorry about your credit card. Promise I'll make it up to you. Grant me guidance. Please? Thanks." Then I scraped some eggs into the fire. I wasn't sure if eggs would be appropriate, but I figured that, as a hunting goddess, she got enough meat in her diet. "Artemis, grant me…I don't know. Send some help. Please. If it's not too much trouble." I wasn't sure if she'd respond; our relationship was still a little rocky, so it's possible she'd ignore me. Hopefully not though.

I glanced over at the Poseidon table. Tyson was gone, but Grover and Chiron had taken his place. They were talking with Percy, though a few seconds later Chiron trotted off to the Big House. They talked for a few seconds before something strange happened—Annabeth slid into the seat next to Percy. That wasn't allowed, for whatever reason. But apparently Annabeth didn't care, so neither did I. I stood up and walked over to table three and plopped myself down next to Grover.

"What are we talking about?" I patted Grover on the back. "C'mon, man, cheer up. Everything'll be okay." He ignored me, instead eating his fork and eggs.

"You're not supposed to be here," Percy said.

"We need to talk," Annabeth insisted.

"But the rules…"

"If Poseidon has such an issue with it, I'm sure he'll let us know," I said. "Till then, we're staying."

"Look," Annabeth said, "Grover is in trouble. There's only one way we can figure to help him. It's the Labyrinth. That's what Clarisse and I have been investigating."

Percy shifted his weight. "You mean the maze where they kept the Minotaur, back in the old days?"

"Asterion's old stomping grounds," I said.

He looked at me. "Who?"

"Asterion. The Minotaur's real name. You don't really think his mother just called him 'the Minotaur,' did you?"

He frowned. "Never really thought about it."

"Anyway," Annabeth said. "We've been tracking the Labyrinth—where it is, and where it might lead."

"So…it's not under the king's palace in Crete anymore," Percy guessed. "The Labyrinth is under some building in America."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Under a building? Please, Percy. The Labyrinth is huge. It wouldn't fit under a single city, much less a single building."

"So it might be bigger—maybe the size of a small country." My eyes darted to the di Angelo siblings, watching us with Melony and Jason from the Hermes table. "But if someone could navigate it…" _Someone whose father just so happens to be the god of the underworld…_ were my unspoken words. "…we could travel just about anywhere."

"If you don't get lost," Grover muttered. "And die a horrible death."

"Grover, there has to be a way," Annabeth said. I got the feeling they'd had this conversation before. "Clarisse lived."

"Barely!" Grover said. "And the other guy—"

"He was driven insane. He didn't die."

"Oh, joy." Grover's lower lip quivered. "That makes me feel much better."

"Whoa," Percy said. "Back up. What's this about Clarisse and a crazy guy?"

Annabeth glanced over toward the Ares table. Clarisse was watching us like she knew what we were talking about, but then she fixed her eyes on her breakfast plate.

"Last year," Annabeth said, lowering her voice, "Clarisse went on a mission for Chiron."

"I remember," I said. "It was secret."

Annabeth nodded. "It was secret," she agreed, "because she found Chris Rodriguez."

"The guy from the Hermes cabin?" I remembered him from two years ago. Chris was one of the half-bloods who'd abandoned camp and joined the Titan Army.

"Yeah," Annabeth said. "Last summer he just appeared in Phoenix, Arizona, near Clarisse's mom's house."

"What do you mean he just appeared?"

"He was wandering around the desert, in a hundred and twenty degrees, in full Greek armor, babbling about string."

"String," I said. _Like the string Theseus used to navigate it in the myths._

"He'd been driven completely insane. Clarisse brought him back to her mom's house so the mortals wouldn't institutionalize him. She tried to nurse him back to health. Chiron came out and interviewed him, but it wasn't much good. The only thing they got out of him…Luke's men have been exploring the Labyrinth."

I shivered, though I wasn't exactly sure why. Chris was a traitor, sure, but he didn't deserve to be driven crazy. Killed, maybe, but not driven insane. I looked at Grover, who was chewing up the rest of his fork.

"Okay," I asked. "Why were they exploring the Labyrinth?"

"We weren't sure," Annabeth said. "That's why Clarisse went on a scouting expedition. Chiron kept things hushed up because he didn't want anyone panicking. He got me involved because…well, the Labyrinth has always been one of my favorite subjects. The architecture involved—" Her expression turned a little dreamy. "The builder, Daedalus, was a genius. But the point is, the Labyrinth has entrances everywhere. If Luke could figure out how to navigate it, he could move his army around with incredible speed."

"Except it's a maze, right?"

"Full of horrible traps," Grover agreed. "Dead ends. Illusions. Psychotic goat-killing monsters."

"But not if you had Ariadne's string," Annabeth said. "In the old days, Ariadne's string guided Theseus out of the maze. It was a navigation instrument of some kind, invented by Daedalus. And Chris Rodriguez was mumbling about string."

"So Luke is trying to find Ariadne's string," Percy said. "Why? What's he planning?"

"An invasion. But that would mean finding an entrance here. Do we have one of those?"

Annabeth shook her head. "I don't know. The closest entrances Clarisse found were in Manhattan, which wouldn't help Luke get past our borders. Clarisse explored a little way into the tunnels, but…it was very dangerous. She had some close calls. I researched everything I could find about Daedalus. I'm afraid it didn't help much. I don't understand exactly what Luke's planning, but I do know this: the Labyrinth might be the key to Grover's problem."

I blinked. "You think Pan is underground?"

"It would explain why he's been impossible to find."

Grover shuddered. "Satyrs hate going underground. No searcher would ever try going in that place. No flowers. No sunshine. No coffee shops!"

"But," Annabeth said, "the Labyrinth can lead you almost anywhere. It reads your thoughts. It was designed to fool you, trick you and kill you; but if you can make the Labyrinth work for you—"

"—it could lead you to the wild god," Percy said.

"I can't do it." Grover hugged his stomach. "Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up my silverware."

"Grover, it may be your last chance," Annabeth said. "The council is serious. One week or you learn to tap dance!"

Over at the head table, Quintus cleared his throat. I got the feeling he didn't want to make a scene, but we were really pushing it, sitting at Percy's table so long.

"We'll talk later," Annabeth said, squeezing Percy's arm. "Convince him, will you?"

I gave Grover a pat on the shoulder. "It'll be okay, I promise." Then I returned to the Artemis table.

Melony was looking at me with a smirk and raised eyebrow. I shrugged at her like _What are you gonna do?_ and went back to my food.

-o-

That night after dinner, Quintus had us suit up in combat armor like we were getting ready for capture the flag, but the mood among the campers was a lot more serious. Sometime during the day the crates in the arena had disappeared, and I had a feeling whatever was in them had been emptied into the woods.

"Right," Quintus said, standing on the head dining table. "Gather 'round."

He was dressed in black leather and bronze. In the torchlight, his gray hair made him look like a ghost. Mrs. O'Leary bounded happily around him, foraging for dinner scraps.

"You will be in teams of two," Quintus announced. When everybody started talking and trying to grab their friends, he yelled: "Which have already been chosen!"

"AWWWWW!" everybody complained.

"Your goal is simple: collect the gold laurels without dying. The wreath is wrapped in a silk package, tied to the back of one of the monsters. There are six monsters. Each has a silk package. Only one holds the laurels. You must find the wreath before the other teams. And, of course…you will have to slay the monster to get it, and stay alive."

The crowd started murmuring excitedly. The task sounded pretty straightforward. Hey, we'd all slain monsters before. That's what we trained for.

"I will now announce your partners," Quintus said. "There will be no trading. No switching. No complaining."

"Aroooof!" Mrs. O'Leary buried her face in a plate of pizza.

Quintus produced a big scroll and started reading off names. Beckendorf would be with Silena Beauregard, which Beckendorf looked pretty happy about. The Stoll brothers, Travis and Connor, would be together. No surprise. They did everything together. Clarisse was with Lee Fletcher from the Apollo cabin—melee and ranged combat combined; they would be a tough combo to beat. Quintus kept rattling off the names. Jay and Melony, and Nico with Will Solace. Nico seemed pretty excited about that, though I couldn't tell why. Maybe they both liked Mythomagic. I was paired with Bianca.

I walked over to her. "You ready to win?"

"You know it!" she said excitedly.

"Grover Underwood," Quintus said, "with Tyson."

Grover just about jumped out of his goat fur. "What? B-but—"

"No, no," Tyson whimpered. "Must be a mistake. Goat boy—"

"No complaining!" Quintus ordered. "Get with your partner. You have two minutes to prepare!"

-o-

"This way," I said. It hadn't taken me very long to find a pair of tracks. Now all we had to do was follow it to the monster.

"Hold on," Bianca said. "I want to try something." She closed her eyes and concentrated, drawing all the shadows to us. In a few seconds we were almost completely covered in darkness.

"Awesome!" I said. "Can Nico do this?"

"Nope," she breathed. "Only me."

I frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm…I'm fine. Just…"

"You're not used to this power. It's taking a toll on you."

"No," she protested. "I'm fine, I—"

"Stop," I commanded. "You can't handle it yet, and if you keep pushing yourself, you'll pass out. Or worse." I looked up. "Come on, I want to teach you something."

"What?" she asked.

"Just follow me." I led her over to a tree, pushing her up and keeping close enough behind her that she didn't fall.

"Keep your weight balanced. If you feel the tree start to sag, move back toward the trunk, it'll support you better."

"We're going really slow," she complained.

"Which means we go quietly."

"But we'll lose the game."

"Then we lose. Your training is much more important than some pretty laurels. I'd feel much better if you knew how to handle yourself than if you just ran in blind."

"Okay, but—"

"Shh," I said, pointing.

Below us, one of the scorpions scuttled about, a silk handkerchief tied around its claw. I handed Bianca my bow and quiver. "I'll take the first shot. You go for its eyes and mouth."

"What if it attacks me?"

"It won't; I won't let it."

She took the bow and nocked an arrow. "Ready."

I drew my knives and jumped down from the tree, stabbing the creature through its head. It reared and let out a shriek of surprise and indignation. I threw myself off it and came up grinning. _Let's dance._

The creature lunged, but I moved aside fast enough. Just then a spear came flying through the brush, stabbing the creature in the side. It roared, but that gave Bianca the chance to shoot it in the mouth. Jay came bursting out of the bushes, driving his spear deeper into the scorpion's side. It jabbed at him with its tail, but he caught it and pulled enough for Melony to sever it with her sword. Then I drove my knives into its head, killing it.

"Thanks for the assist," I said, "but I'll be taking this." I picked up the cloth and examined it. I frowned.

"Well?" Bianca said, climbing down to join us. "Did we win?"

"No," I said.

"Hunter!" came a voice.

We all turned. "Nico? Will? What's wrong?"

They came running up to us, panting. "Percy…Percy and Annabeth are missing!"

It took us nearly an hour to find them. I was with Clarisse and the others when they crawled out of a hole in Zeus's fist. _Has that always been there?_

"Where have you two been?" Clarisse demanded. "We've been looking forever."

"But we were gone only a few minutes," Percy said.

Chiron trotted up, followed by Tyson and Grover.

"Percy!" Tyson said. "You are okay?"

"We're fine," he said. "We fell in a hole."

The others looked at him skeptically, then at Annabeth. "Honest!" Percy said. "There were three scorpions after us, so we ran and hid in the rocks. But we were only gone a minute."

"You've been missing for almost an hour," Chiron said. "The game is over."

"Yeah," Grover muttered. "We would've won, but a Cyclops sat on me."

"Was an accident!" Tyson protested, and then he sneezed.

Clarisse was wearing the gold laurels. "A hole?" she said suspiciously.

Annabeth took a deep breath. She looked around at the other campers. "Chiron…maybe we should talk about this at the Big House."

Clarisse gasped. "You found it, didn't you?"

Annabeth bit her lip. "I—Yeah. Yeah, we did."

I paled. "Gods," I muttered to myself. "I'm such a fool." The crow wasn't directing me to Zeus's Fist, it was directing me to what was _under_ Zeus's Fist.

A bunch of campers started asking questions, looking about as confused as I was, but Chiron raised his hand for silence. "Tonight is not the right time, and this is not the right place." He stared at boulders as if he'd just noticed how dangerous they were. "All of you, back to your cabins. Get some sleep. A game well played, but curfew is past!"

There was a lot of mumbling and complaints, but the campers drifted off, talking among themselves and giving suspicious looks.

"This explains a lot," Clarisse said. "It explains what Luke is after."

"Wait a second," Percy said. "What do you mean? What did we find?"

Annabeth turned toward him, her eyes dark with worry. "An entrance to the Labyrinth. An invasion route straight into the heart of the camp."

 _My destiny,_ I thought.

-o-

I couldn't sleep that night, no matter how hard I tried. _It's there,_ I thought. _The Labyrinth, that's where I need to go._ Winter opened her eyes on top of me. I ran a hand through her snow-white coat. _The crow wants me there, with Winter._ I examined my arm. _Maybe I'll finally understand what I can really do._

"I'm going," I said to nobody. "I…I need to. Will you come with me, puppy?"

She got up, stretched, and went over to her hot dog toy and picked it up. I laughed. "So glad for your support. Gimme a few minutes." I went to gather my things, throwing a few changes of clothes, supplies, and anything else I thought I'd need into a backpack. After that I changed into a pair of black jeans, a dark shirt, my leather jacket, and a pair of combat boots. Buckling my belt on, I made sure both my knives were there—one at my waist, one at my boot. Then I made sure my quiver was full.

Before I walked out the door, I grabbed a small piece of paper and began to write.

 _Going on a personal quest,_ I wrote. _Don't when I'll be back. Don't come looking for me._

I took a final look around the room and felt a pang of sadness. This place had been home for the last few months, and even though it wasn't the home I'd shared with Leto and Apollo, I'd come to appreciate it all the same. I hoped I'd see it again.

"Come, girl."

I shut the door behind us and came face-to-face with the ugliest crow I'd ever seen sitting on my porch railing.

"Dusk, wasn't it?" I asked, remembering Brandon calling it that. "I'm ready."

The crow cawed and flapped its ugly black wings, taking to the skies. Winter and I followed closely after it. I kept an eye out for the harpies that liked to eat the campers that were out past curfew, but I didn't see any. Dusk led us deep into the woods, over the brook, and to Zeus's Fist. It perched on the rocks and gave another caw.

I approached the entrance that Percy and Annabeth had crawled out of and was about to enter when I heard: "And just where are you going?"

My bow was out and nocked, but I lowered it when I saw who was there.

"Why are you here?"

Flame-red eyes looked down on me coldly. "I could ask you the same thing," Melony said, running a whetstone over her sword. I had no idea why I didn't see her, sitting on the rocks so casually. "Not planning on just running off, are you?"

"That's the gist of it."

She rolled her eyes. "That's what we thought."

"We?"

The trees beside us rustled, and Jay stepped out scowling.

"Oh. It's just you." I turned back to Melony. "I'm going."

"Not alone," was Mel's response.

"I have Winter."

She jumped down from the rocks. "Yeah, that's not going to work."

I raised an eyebrow. "I could beat the two of you easily. You really think you can stop me?"

"We're not here to stop you, idiot."

I blinked. "What?"

"We're coming _with_ you."

"No," I said at once. "This is my journey."

She rolled her eyes. "You don't have a choice."

"Yes, I—"

"You really don't. Hunter, as capable as you are, you wouldn't survive long without us. There are who-know-how-many monsters down there, and Winter can't keep you safe from all of them. Besides, you know you hate close, confined spaces. You're always going on about how you prefer the open forests."

I scowled, not happy at her mounting evidence. "How'd you even know I was coming here?"

She scoffed. "Please. You didn't think we didn't notice how you reacted to Percy and Annabeth, did you? Looked like you were about to have a panic attack. We figured you'd be back, so we waited. You're much more predictable than you think."

I grumbled, but decided not to argue any more. "Five minutes. You have five minutes."

"Perfect. Make sure he doesn't leave," she said to Winter. The wolf was all too happy to plop down and go to sleep.

"Traitor," I said.

Five minutes later, they were back with all their things packed. They'd also left notes for their cabinmates, but they didn't say much. Just that they'd be back eventually.

We wormed our way into the spot between two of the boulders and jumped down into the pit Percy and Annabeth crawled out of. A long corridor spread out before us.

The crow perched itself on my shoulder and cawed.

"Okay, Dusk," I said to it. "Lead the way."

* * *

A/N: Okay, what did you guys think? Please let me know in a review, and please don't be afraid to ask questions. Thanks for reading.

Bye!


	36. Chapter 36

The Sorrowful Deity: Will they go mad? Or will the crow lead them down the labyrinth correctly?

Keep reading to find out!

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Thirty-Six: The Goddess of Torches**

Winter sniffed the air and growled. "I know," I said, petting her head. "I feel it too."

The long corridor stretched far into the distance, made of rough stone like the inside of a cave, which I supposed was appropriate. The ceiling was rough and uneven, and just slightly over my head. But…there was something hidden here. I reached out and touched the side. I gasped.

The walls were alive.

Hidden far beneath the surface, the structure we were in shuddered faintly like some beast drawing breath. For just a moment, the barest fraction of a heartbeat, I considered skinwalking into it, but decided not to. If it was as truly as old and large as Annabeth said, the sudden shock of it could have driven me mad.

"I can't see anything," Jay said from next to me.

I glanced back at them. Both Jay and Mel were there, but they were squinting like they were blind. Then I realized that they probably were; I had always been able to see in the dark, but they couldn't. "The corridor extends for a long while, then looks like it opens up."

"Hold on." A large open flame burst to life in Melony's hand. "There we go," she said, "that's much better!"

Dusk sprang from my shoulder and soared down the corridor. We followed after him quickly. A hundred steps later and the corridor opened to a large open cavern. Grey-black fog billowed up to our knees, making it nearly impossible to see danger that might be skulking around. The cavern was almost square-shaped, with similar openings to ours on each of the other three sides. Torches hung against the walls of the doors, almost like vigils or guards.

I took a step into the cavern. "Hello?"

"Hello."

From the mist, a woman appeared. She was pale and thin, like a corpse had risen from Hades. A black dress clung to her spindly body like mist; with a start I realized it _was_ mist, the same sort as the clouds on the ground. Greasy, matted black hair hung down from her scalp. She pulled her cracked lips back in a smile as her haunting black eyes took us in.

Dusk, who had settled on a group of rocks sticking out of the vapor, spread its wings and cawed.

The woman turned toward it. "At ease, my lady, I want no quarrel with you or your charges."

"Who are you?" I asked. "What do you—?" My sentence was interrupted by the squeak of something I had stepped on. I stumbled back and saw the mist part for something that scrambled up the woman's dress and perch upon her shoulder. It looked like a weasel. The thing turned toward me and hissed, then made a popping sound.

"Did your weasel just fart?"

The creature hissed at me. The woman laid a hand on its head. "Hush, now, Gale. Let me handle this." The creature disappeared inside the woman's mist-dress. "I am Hecate, goddess of the Mist and magic."

I gaped, then lifted my leg. "Then this stuff is…"

"…the Mist, yes," she said. "The veil that separates the world of mortals from the world of the gods. It is my duty to maintain and uphold it, and so I have done."

"What do you want with us?" I recalled Artemis telling me that Hecate—along with a number of minor deities—had defected to Kronos. Melony and Jason must have picked up on my unease, because they both put their hands on their weapons.

Hecate held up her hands. "Peace, heroes. I want no fight. I want to lend you my aid."

Melony took a step. "Why would you help us?"

The goddess turned her eyes to the daughter of Hestia. "You helped me once."

"What do you mean?"

"My daughter, Daphne. You saved her from the hellhound that killed her father and step-family." It seemed for a moment like the goddess was blinking away tears. "You sheltered her from those who would seek to hurt her, and you taught her to fend for herself. I owe you a great debt."

"And how do you plan on repaying that debt?" I asked.

"With this." She held up her fore- and middle-finger, where little specs of golden dust floated in an unfelt breeze.

"What will that do?"

"Protect you from prying eyes. There are those that would seek to detain you; my former student is one of them."

"One of you—Niobe!" I realized. "You taught her magic."

The goddess inclined her head. "I did. I showed her how to manipulate my Mist, how to shape and grow things with it." She smiled. "And I am more than impressed with the results. I admit, this visit is also so that I may see the fruits of her labors. An offspring of a goddess and giant, yet mortal besides…such a thing should be impossible, yet here you are."

"Here I am," I said, doing my best to not get angry enough to shout. "But I really must be going."

"Very well. Come here, and I can give you my seal." I took a step forward, ready to fight if need be. Hecate reached around me and drew a Greek omega on my neck. She did the same to Jason and Melony, and a circle on Winter's forehead.

"What will this do?" I asked.

"Make you all untraceable to those who seek you. It will be like you are not even there."

"And Dusk?"

The goddess turned to the preening bird. "That thing has its own protections, ones far older and stronger than mine." She turned back to me. "Good luck on your quest, son of Artemis. It will not be an easy one."

"None of them ever are. How do we get out of here?"

"Your crow can take care of that. Let him guide you."

I whistled. Dusk took flight and flapped in a circle before going down the left-most tunnel from where we came. We ran after him, leaving the goddess and her Mist behind.

-o-

We followed the tunnel for what felt like hours, stopping periodically to refuel ourselves before continuing. Every once in a while we'd come across a place where the path would diverge, but Dusk always led us down the right one, keeping just ahead of us. Once we thought he heard voices in the dark, but when we stopped to listen they were gone. A skeleton or two was littered on the ground, and a hellhound once ran into us, but we cut it down and kept moving. Soon the walls of stone turned to concrete, and we emerged at a T section in some underground complex.

"What is this place?"

Melony crouched down. "A train tunnel."

"How can you tell?"

She brought her flame-clad hand down and showed us the steel tracks that ran along the ground. "Probably abandoned. Look at the state these are in."

Jay put his ear to one of the tracks. "Nothing coming."

I turned to Dusk. "Why bring us here?" The bird just cawed and flapped off, forcing us to follow it.

We walked for a time, passing a partially collapsed station where a couple of homeless guys were squatting. "What're you brats looking at?" one of them demanded. "Something ugly," I said back, and we left him cursing.

Eventually we came across an old maintenance tunnel with a ladder to the surface. We climbed out onto a small alleyway between a post office and a donut shop. When we moved to the sidewalk and looked around, Jay gasped.

"What's wrong?" Melony asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I have," he said softly. The donut shop he was looking at had a sign at the front with a large anthropomorphic coffee cup holding a donut in its hand. The place read _Sal's Donuts,_ but the A and U were both dark. Still, it looked lively enough.

"You know this place?"

He nodded, face pale. "Logan, Utah. My home."

* * *

A/N: Super short, I know, but I promise the next one will be longer.

Bye!


	37. Chapter 37

Guest: Wait a minute...dusk. Darksiders reference?!

YES! Oh my God, I never thought anyone would get that. Even though Death's companion is called Dust, not Dusk, I still based the crow off the one in the games. I love the Darksiders franchise and many of the character traits present in my stories were influenced by those games (most notably Death and Strife, whose powers and attitudes were inspirations for a lot of Hunter's character).

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Thirty-Seven: Home**

"This is your home?" I looked around. "Really?" I had always imagined Jay's home to be a military base or prison, based on how moody he was. Not Logan, Utah.

"Yes, really," he bit back. "Let's go." He turned to head back to the manhole, but I stopped him.

"Hold on," I said.

He turned on me. "Why?"

"Maybe you're supposed to be here."

" _What?_ "

"Think about it—of all the places we end up, it's _here._ Your hometown. Where your father lives."

He jabbed a finger at me. " _Don't_ bring him up. Do you know what that bastard did? He abused me for _years,_ said I was a mistake and that I shouldn't have been born."

"And I'm not saying you should forgive him. I'm just saying that maybe it's time you got some closure."

"Why would I need that?"

I raised a hand. "Because you'll never move on otherwise," I said, thinking about my conversation with Artemis on that rooftop in New York. _We'd be better._ "And you can always knock his block of if he starts being shitty."

Jason looked like he wanted to argue, but Melony put a hand on his arm. "It's worth a shot, no?"

Jason opened his mouth to argue, but it didn't hold up under Melony's eyes. "Fine," he spat. "This way."

-o-

Jay lived roughly thirty minutes from the donut shop, on a tiny little side-street so small only one car could drive through at a time. We walked quietly, the tension on the air almost palpable. Winter walked silently at my side, while Dusk perched on my shoulder and preened, occasionally cawing at any animal it saw. The fact that we were taking a detour didn't seem to bother him all that much, which I was grateful for. Last thing Jay needed to deal with right now was an impatient, cranky crow.

Speaking of…

The son of Hera was morose. Well, more morose than morose than ever. His fists and jaw were clenched so tight you'd think he was trying to pass a rather large bowel movement. His body language screamed a desire for silence, and for once I wasn't keen on pushing him. Hera had nursed him as a baby, just like Heracles, and like that hero, Jay possessed incredible strength, strength I didn't want to see turned on me.

Eventually we stopped at a white-picket fenced house with a silver minivan in the driveway. "That isn't right," Jay said.

"What isn't?" Melony asked.

My dad has a blue BMW, not some crappy van."

"Maybe he got a new car?"

"Hmm…Maybe." He took a step, but Melony stopped him with a hand.

"What are you going to do?"

He gently pulled himself from her grip. "I don't know."

The large red door looked cozy, which only unnerved me more about this whole situation. _Such a normal-looking home belonging to such a monster._ Parents who abused their children were some of the worst people I could think of. They deserved to pay.

Jay knocked once, then twice, and was reaching for a third time when the door opened. A little boy with brown hair stood there, looking up at us. "Yes?"

Jay blinked. "Uh…"

"Clarke?" a woman's voice called. Did Jay have a new step-mother? "Who's there?"

"I dunno, Mama," the little boy said.

The door opened a little wider, and a plump woman with curly hair wiping her hands on a dishcloth smiled at us. "Can I help you three?" She paid no mind to the wolf or crow, so either the Mist was working wonders, or this little old lady had seen far stranger in her life.

"I'm…looking for Tobias Miller," Jay said.

"Oh, well, honey, he doesn't live here anymore."

"Do…you know where he is?"

She pursed her lips. "Who's asking?"

"I'm…a family friend. I knew his son."

The woman's eyes softened. "Oh, I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

She looked between us. "You really don't know?"

"Know what, ma'am?" Melony asked.

"He's dead."

Jay's eyes widened. " _Dead?"_

She nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"How…how long ago?"

"Oh, about a year and a half or so. He got drunk and wrapped his car around a telephone pole. Crying shame, I'd heard he was a good man."

 _A good man who abused his son for something he wasn't even responsible for._ "Is he…buried anywhere?"

"Logan Cemetery," she said. She turned back to Jay. "You see his son, tell him, will you? Nobody's seen him since he ran away from military school."

"I…I will. Thank you."

She nodded. "Mm-hmm. You kids have a nice day." She closed the door softly behind her.

Not wanting to stay on that woman's porch like a couple of weirdos, we moved to the street. Jay was silent, looking at his feet like they were a million miles away. Melony and I exchanged looks. "So…do you want to head back to the labyrinth or—"

"No," Jay cut in, looking up at us. He looked surprisingly vulnerable, which is not a word I would normally use to describe him. "I…want to see him."

"What?" Melony asked. "Why would you want that?"

"For closure," he shot back, "like Hunter said. I just…need to say goodbye."

Melony opened her mouth, but I put a hand on her shoulder. "We helped you with yours, now we help him with his." I turned. "Logan Cemetery. You know it?"

He nodded. "It's not far."

-o-

He was right about that. The cemetery was only about fifteen minutes away from the house, behind a metal fence and two open gate doors. A little concrete road connected all the major parts of the cemetery, but the graves themselves were off the main path on the grass. We asked around and eventually one of the employees knew where the grave was and pointed us in the right direction.

The final resting place of Jason Miller's father was a simple concrete headstone with the words:

TOBIAS MILLER

BELOVED FATHER

1964—2006

Jay scoffed. "Beloved father," he muttered in what was probably the only use of sarcasm I'd heard in the time I'd known him. "Used to get drunk and beat me to work out his troubles. 'Your fault,' he'd say. 'All you're fault. She'd still be here if not for you'." He shrugged. "Am I supposed to say something?"

"Do you want to say anything?" Mel asked.

He pursed his lips. "Hey, Dad. I'm back. This is Hunter and Melony. They're my friends—well, Hunter's an ass, but Melony's okay."

"Fuck you, too," I said, if only to let him know nothing was going to change.

"They're like me," he said to the grave. "Children of the gods. Freaks. Outsiders. Bastards." Melony and I exchanged a look, but didn't say anything. This was his time. "It's their fault I'm here, you know. I'd have preferred to stay far away from this place, from you, but here I am." He knelt. "Some friends of mine have been telling me about the funeral rites of our ancestors. They said that the souls of the departed are housed in their father's realm, the Underworld, and that a person's spirit lives on through our memories. If that's true…your spirit will be gone soon. I don't want to remember you. For my entire life all you did was abuse me. You made me feel scared in my own home." I was surprised to see tears in his eyes.

"But I'm done being scared. I've been on quests, fought against giants and werewolves and crazy sorceresses. You're just a mortal. You're nothing worth fearing. You have no power over me anymore. I won't forgive you, but I will forget you. You're not worth remembering."

After a long silence had passed, Melony said, "Would you like some time alone?"

He nodded, wiping the sides of his eyes with his jacket. "Yeah, please. Just wait for me outside, I promise I won't be long."

"I don't think we can do that," I said. Both looked at me; Jason in surprise, Melony aghast. I pointed. A woman in a white, blue, and green dress was walking toward us, brown hair pulled back into an elaborate bun. Winter growled, but I shushed her.

Both Jay's fists were clenched and his teeth were grinding together. "Mother," he said when the woman reached us.

"Jason," said Hera, Queen of Olympus and Goddess of Motherhood. "I see you know the truth, now."

"I do," he spat. "Why are you here?"

"To pay my respects." She held out a bouquet of flowers and put it in a little pot next to the grave.

"Why? You know who he was, what he did."

"I do, and I grieve for the man he was, not who he became. He was kind back then, Jason. Kind, noble, caring, all things—"

"—he wasn't for me. He doesn't deserve those."

"Perhaps not. But I did love him, once; I would have helped him, had he accepted it."

"Since when have you ever helped anyone?"

"I helped you."

"When?" he demanded.

"Who do you think it was who convinced your father to ship you to military school? I couldn't let you stay in his care, not after what you'd done, so I told him to send you away, far from his reach, and I facilitated your escape from that place."

"What are you—" His face went pale. "The loading door."

She nodded. "Yes."

"Wait," I said. "What is she talking about?"

"My old school," Jay said, "had a loading dock we used to receive food and mail. Students were rewarded for good behavior with helping unload it. I was going to use it as an escape, but there were always faculty guarding it. Then one day I was told that there had been a scheduling mistake and we were getting a delivery, but there was nobody there and the door was wide open. That was you, wasn't it?"

"It was," Hera said. "And I guided you long after you escaped, all the way to Pennsylvania, where you met your friend Melony. I've been keeping my eye on you, Jason. You are still my son, and I want to keep you safe."

"Guys," Jay said. "Could you…give us a minute?"

"Of course," Melony said. "C'mon, Hunter."

"We'll be waiting at the gate."

It was nearly twenty minutes later when he emerged, and Hera wasn't with him.

"Are you all right?" Melony asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. Fine. Can we go now?"

"Sure," I said. "But don't you want to stick around a little longer? You could see old friends or—"

"No," he said firmly. "There's nothing here for me anymore."

-o-

"Lead the way, Dusk."

The crow launched himself from my shoulder and took off down the corridor, us hot on its trail. The labyrinth stretched and curved and wound this way and that. We went left, left, right, straight, down a slight incline, turned right, then left, then left again, right, straight, right, right, right, and so on until there was no hope of escape. No monsters blocked our path, though occasionally we'd hear the sounds of a hiss or groan down a corridor and would promptly leave it behind.

Dusk led us on for hours, hardly ever slowing and growing restless when he did. But soon enough we emerged from the maze into an abandoned-looking basement, complete with rats and moss growing from cracks in the foundation.

"Where are we?" Melony asked.

"No idea," I said, "but let's not stick around." I walked over to the bulkhead and pushed it open with a loud _reeee_ of rusted metal on rusted metal. A town spread out around us, surrounded by snowy mountains and tree-covered hills. We approached a man walking his dog and asked him where we were.

"This is Mill St.," he said kindly.

"No, sir, we mean what _town_ is this," I said back, not unkindly myself.

He blinked. "You mean you kids don't know where ya are?"

"No, sir. We're hitchhikers, is all, and we just want to know if this is where we need to go.

"Of, well, this is Valdez, Alaska."

I blinked. "Alaska?"

"Yessir, northernmost state in these United States."

"Thank you," I said, hurrying away.

"Hunter," Melony asked, struggling to keep up with my longer legs, "what's wrong?"

"Alaska's a dangerous place," I said.

"Why?"

"It's too far north; the gods have no power here." True to that, the place, now that I had time to register it, felt _off,_ like there were no laws keeping this place in order.

"So what does that mean?"

"It means we need to keep an eye out for danger."

Dusk cawed at us from a streetlight and flapped away. _That bird's going to be the death of me,_ I thought, following it. The sun had reached its peak when we arrived in Valdez, and it was beginning to dip when we reached the edge of town and began to hike through the many trees surrounding it.

We had to stop once or twice to eat and stay hydrated, but we kept up nonetheless. After a while the sky began to darken as the sun went lower and lower, and I was afraid we'd be forced to stop for the night when we arrived.

A great tree rose out of the ground, surrounded by smaller trees like a bear surrounded by rabbits. The highest branches seemed to scrape the sky, and all its leaves were a dark red like blood. Dusk flew ahead of us, onto one of the higher branches to join what looked to be an army of black crows, hundreds if not thousands strong. We gaped at its shear size, awed by its power.

"You've arrived at last."

We turned as one, weapons ready, to find a girl about our age standing there holding a spear. But she wasn't a girl; she was a dryad, I saw, with green skin and hair and eyes that matched the leaves of the great tree. She was dressed in a dress of vines and leaves and acorns, with mud-brown lips and dappled cheeks like a deer.

She knelt. "I did not mean to frighten you, blessed one. Forgive me, please."

I looked around. "You…you mean me?"

Her eyes did not leave the ground. "Yes, my lord. We have been waiting for you for so long. This one is called Maple, and she has been sent to guide you."

"Guide us where?"

"To the roots of the grand tree behind me. There you shall be received." She rose. "Please, follow me." She turned and led us into a space carved into the bark almost like a doorway. The tree was pressed close all around us, nearly suffocating.

Down and deeper we went, far below the ground and the sun, past half-buried halls and open chambers full of nothing. Soon enough the weeds began to show themselves, snaking about like some great serpent. In some places we needed to crouch low or crawl to make it through, but Maple was always there ahead of us, guiding the way. At certain areas the floor descended so quickly we had to slide on hands and knees. Then all at once we emerged into a large chamber of dirt and root, with several niches built into the sides like little rooms. A stream coiled through the room, but vines and roots provided several bridged over it. Glowing moss high from the walls, ceiling, and floor, giving light to the otherwise dark room.

"This way, please," Maple said, leading us through. As we crossed the room, half a dozen other dryads like Maple emerged, though they didn't look exactly like her; some had brown eyes, some gold, and some green, but they all shared the same red hair. Like her, they were dressed in leaves and carried spears. They bowed their heads as we passed. "Blessed one."

It felt strange to be called something other than "abomination" by a nature spirit, but I wasn't about to complain.

At the end of the chamber was a tangle of roots and vines so thick it took me a moment to realize there was a person inside of it.

A corpse of wrinkled skin and bone lay intertwined with the vines and roots, some sticking out of its skin. Glossy white hair ran down its head and shoulders all the way to its knees, and dark green eyes stared listlessly at nothing.

"Present yourself to the Mistress of Nature," Maple said, indicating.

I took a step. "I am—"

"—Hunter Marcus, son of Artemis," said the corpse, in a dry voice like the crunching of a leaf.

"I don't use the last name," I said quickly, before I realized what I was doing. The name was a gift from Anna, who had been my best friend for six months before she stabbed me in the back—almost literally. Now the name left a bitter taste on my mouth.

"Very well," the corpse woman said.

"These are—"

"—Jason Miller and Melony Lockhart, welcome. Your loyalty to your friend is admirable; you shall have a place beneath this roof for as long as necessary."

"That name," Melony cut in suddenly. "How do you know it?"

"I know many things, my dear girl. I have watched you all from the trees and through Dusk, who guided you here." The crow she spoke of perched on her head and cawed.

The sound of footsteps echoed to our right, and a boy with brown hair and green eyes stepped out of the shadows, lips red. "Brother."

"Brandon," I said, reaching for his hand. He took it and put his other hand over mine. I did the same.

"I am glad you have finally made it here," he said, smiling.

"It took longer than I thought."

"Threats were rising that needed to be dealt with," the corpse said. "Lord Zeus's Bolt, the machinations of your father and his sorceress woman, the quest to save Artemis, all could not be helped. What matters is you are here now, and will leave with all the knowledge you require."

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I am called Physis," she said, "the Lady of Nature. I have served as guide and guardian to your people for countless generations, since the gift first made itself known."

"We are safe here," Brandon said. "Our people can learn to use our gifts to its fullest potential while here, under our lady's safe tutelage."

"'Our people'?" I asked. "There are more of us?"

He put a hand on my shoulder. "Look, brother, and see."

I turned and gasped. Standing in the niches along the walls at different levels were half a dozen men and women. One was a tall man with black skin and no hair; another a girl with honey-blonde hair and shimmering blue eyes; a straw-colored man stood with a sword of gold at his side; a boy no older than nine stood with a hamster perched on his shoulder; and finally a girl with jet-black hair and dazzling eyes. All wore red lips set into a welcoming smile, with marks upon their arms: two circles intersected by six lines.

"They are all like you and I, brother," Brandon said. "A sanctuary for those with the gift of skinwalking."

"You shall learn all there is about who we are and how to use your powers," Physis promised. "This place is called Haven."

Brandon smiled. "Welcome home."

* * *

A/N: Hopefully this chapter makes up for the last one. I'll also be uploading as frequently as I can (hopefully at least twice a week) before the end of the summer, which is August 24 when I go back to school and my entire upload schedule is thrown out of whack. Anyway, please leave a review telling me what you thought.

Bye!


	38. Chapter 38

Jacky2690: Why they call Hunter "lord"? Is he a choosen one or something?

No, nothing like that. It's just a sign of respect, like how sea creatures call Percy "my lord," "lord," or "boss."

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Thirty-Eight: Family**

I turned to the corpse. "You said your name was Physis, yes? Forgive me, but I don't recognize that name." It was a weird feeling, not knowing who I was speaking to; Apollo taught me the names and stories of nearly every god, major or minor, in the pantheon, not to mention all the heroes and even a vast majority of the monsters and spirits.

The corpse nodded. "I am not surprised. I am not as famous as my mother Gaea or my brother Kronos."

I tensed. "You're Kronos's sister?"

Brandon put a hand on my shoulder. "Peace, brother. Our lady is not allied with the Titan Lord."

"I am Physis," the corpse repeated, "primordial of nature."

"Primordial?" I asked. "Like, the first race of gods?"

She nodded. "Yes. I am one of the younger ones, though not so young as dear sweet Elpis. My mother was the Earth Gaea, my father the sky Ouranos. Many believe me to be Gaea's sister, or even that we are one being, but that is because the mortals know little of me, and I am often confused with others."*

Primordials are the oldest known beings in the universe, borne from the abyss of Chaos when reality was young. I never expected…this. "Why do you look so…"

"…old?" she asked. "My life is tied directly to my domain, Hunter. And my domain is dying. Every year more and more of nature is destroyed, replaced with highways and shopping malls. Soon—another five hundred years or so—I will not be able to retain a physical form. Primordials can never truly die, you see, but if our domains are weakened enough or we are separated from them, our essence will be scattered across the cosmos, unable to form a consciousness. The same happened to my father, when my brother took up his scythe and cut him to bits."

"But why would you spend the rest of your life helping people like us?" I indicated to myself and Brandon. "Who are we to you?"

Just then, a tall nymph with red hair and piercing velvet eyes with a spear strapped to her back stepped forward. "Rez na kesh maf tren."

Physis nodded. "Zash kan, Cherry. Maple, rel ne rom a tuk?"

Maple intertwined her fingers so they made a V shape. "Ha fee, Mura Physis."

"What language is that?" I asked.

"The old tongue," Brandon explained. "The language spoken by the trees and wind centuries before man came to be."

"We will teach it to you," Physis said, "but you must be tired. We have had rooms prepared for you. Maple will show you the way."

"This way, please, blessed one." She led us away from Physis, up a ramp made of roots, to where one of the girls I had seen earlier stood. She was pretty, with long blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Hello, my name is Elane," she said. She held out an arm, and a beautiful barn owl handed on it. "This is Hedwig."

"Like from Harry Potter?"

She laughed. "Yes, exactly."

"I'm Hunter, and this is Winter."

"May I pat her?"

"Go ahead."

Elane bent over and ruffled Winter behind the ears. "She is very beautiful."

"So is Hedwig."

"Thank you." She turned to Melony. "You'll be staying with us for the duration of your stay."

"Us?" Melony asked.

"Hey," said a voice behind us. We jumped and turned. A girl with black hair stood there, a tabby cat nuzzling her legs. "I'm Brianna." She wore a frown, and her eyes were uninterested. "This is Tamzy."

"A pleasure. This is Winter, Melony, and Jason."

Her eyes glazed over Melony. "Hey. Don't touch my stuff." With that she walked past us and went into their room.

Elane laughed nervously. "Sorry about her. She can be a bit…abrasive, but she's nice."

"Oh, I'm sure," Melony said.

I nudged her. "Stop it," I muttered. Normally I was all for sarcasm, but I wanted to make a good impression here. "We'll leave you two. Good night."

"Sleep tight," Elane called.

"Night."

Turns out, "room" just meant "small closed off chamber." The beds were made of moss with animal-fur blankets. Still, I couldn't complain. I put my bags down and took the bed against the far wall. Jay got the one across from the door.

"Pleasant dreams, my lord," Maple said.

"Thank you."

Brandon entered, holding a waterskin. "Isn't it a bad idea to drink before bed?"

"Not this," he said. "It is called dream-wine. It is not alcoholic, but it will remove the caul from your eyes and let your dreams become clearer."

I took the skin, pulled the cap, sniffed the inside. "What is it?"

"Sap collected from these trees."

"Trees?"

"Yes. This is not one tree, but seven, grown together. The Morei—the nymphs you saw earlier—guard them. There are only seven in all the world, and they are grown here. Their sap makes our gift stronger, more refined. Drink."

I took a sip, then spit it out. "This is disgusting!" The taste of rotten meat still hung on my tongue.

"You must drink more. Like a great journey, the first is always the hardest. Drink more, and you will find he taste far better."

I frowned, winced, then lifted the skin to my lips and drank again. The taste of rotten meat was back, then it turned to ink, spoiled milk, and yellow snow, but then it shifted; now it tasted like honey, tomato soup, licorice, apple pie, Apollo laughing, rolling around in the snow with Winter, a kiss from Leto, the hug I shared with Artemis, bacon cheeseburgers, and mountain dew.

I drank more, taking deeper and deeper gulps, until I couldn't breathe. I put it down gasping, and Brandon smiled. "The taste is overwhelming at first, but you will grow used to it. Sleep now, and dream." I corked the bottle and put my head down. I was asleep before I knew it.

-o-

In the dream, I was a great bird soaring through a forest of silver-blue trees against a golden sky. Another bird flew before me, wings shrouded in mist like a smoky illusion. _Follow me,_ it said, with the voice of Physis.

 _What is this?_ I asked. _How are we speaking like this?_ Every other time I had spoken in a dream it was with my lips, but I didn't have those anymore.

 _Our minds have become linked,_ Physis said, weaving between the trees and branches like some airborne acrobat. _You can hear my thoughts, and I yours. In time, I will teach you to do the same; to establish connections with others._

 _When do we begin?_ I asked, soaring through the trunk of a tree that had split in two.

 _We already have. This lesson is about our history. Our ways._

" _Our"?_

 _Yes, "our". Who do you think bestowed the gift in the first place?_

I was shocked. _You?_ I had always imagined it was just something some people had.

 _Yes, though it was not my intention that mankind should have it. After the death of my father Ouranos, the first nymphs came to be. From them came others, who would go on to fill the world with trees and grass and bushes. When the first beasts came to be, I gave a select few the ability to enter their minds and control them. They served as guardians and companions to those in the wood, keeping them safe from monsters._ Images flashed before my eyes: dryads leading packs of wolves; entire forests working as one to repel monsters; and groups of dreamers controlling the animals around them. _But when mankind came to be, they were able to avoid the guardians. They took the nymphs of the wood and water for themselves, and the gift was passed to their children._

 _I stayed out of the attention of the world at that point; your kind was not worthy of a primordial's attention, and by that point Kronos had been overthrown and Zeus and his Olympians ruled._ Mount Olympus—the true Mount Olympus—flashed before me, with six powerful gods sitting on great thrones. _The children with the gift grew up and had more children, and those children had children too. Nature-oriented deities also possessed the gift, and passed it to their spawn. Skinwalkers began to spread across Greece, using their gift as shepherds or farmers or hunters._

 _Then what happened?_ I asked. _How did we become to hated and feared?_

 _Eventually, one with the gift became king of Thespiae._ A sprawling city surrounded by trees and water passed beneath us. _He was a great warrior, undefeated and fearless, but that fearlessness made him foolish. One day he was hunting and came across a woman with eyes as golden as the sun and hair like silk. The moment he saw her he desired her, so he chased her, and loved her, and bound his soul to her. He proclaimed himself king of the wild and made her his queen, and with his great gift he bound his subjects to his will._

 _His subjects?_ Could someone skinwalk a person too?

 _Yes. There are three rules you will learn as a skinwalker, Hunter—the first: one must never lay with another while in the skin of a beast; the second: one must never consume the flesh of man while in the skin of a beast; and the third, the most important: one must never go into the skin of a man. Such a thing is to break down their mind and force them to subjugation. We call these things abomination._

Abomination. _I have been called that before. By nymphs and dryads and satyrs, even the gods._

The ground below us had turned to green hills and valleys. _Many of your brothers have. They fear what you can do, what you can accomplish if you tried. Because of him. He spread across the Greek world like a black tide, sweeping away any who stood against him, using his gift he bound them to him. He gathered others with the gift round him, to make an army of him. He told them they should be rulers of the world, and they rejoiced._ I saw a man with a cruel face and haunting eyes leading an army through a burning city, flanked by hundreds of wolves, crows, and elk. _I should have stopped it,_ she said sadly. _I wanted to, but by that time he had grown too powerful. For nearly two decades he waged war with the world, until the gods of Olympus struck him down with the aid of the kings of Sparta and Athens. When the full truth of his crimes came to light, they scoured his name from history, and those that remember him call him only Dark King. They butchered those with the gift as well, down to the last, until only a few remained, and even they were not totally free. In order to ensure another like him could not come about, they made all those with the gift sterile._

 _Sterile?_ I asked. _You mean—_

— _unable to bear children, yes._

Suddenly I felt like I had swallowed a worm. _I always wanted kids…_ Now I wasn't going to get that chance, because the gods feared something that _might_ happen. A coil of anger unfurled in my chest. It wasn't fair! They're nothing but cowards; they waited until the last second to intervene, then take out the punishment on the rest of us? _The gods are petty._

 _So they are,_ Physis agreed.

 _Wait,_ I said. _If we're sterile, then how do skinchangers still exist?_

 _A good question, young one. Not all children borne from unions between those with the gift possessed it themselves. Many did not manifest it, but had the potential to pass it on. So on and so on it went through the generations, each time only a handful showing the truth of their blood._ The ground had turned to snow beneath us. _Tomorrow you will meet your brothers and sisters; learn from them, befriend them. They will be your teachers and mentors in the coming days._

 _I will,_ I promised.

 _Good. Now wake._

My wings burst in to flames, and I fell smoldering from the sky.

-o-

The next morning we ate a mixed assortment of berries and bark, washed down with water and dream-wine. The late morning and afternoon were quiet, spent either in our rooms or exploring deeper within the trees. None of the other skinwalkers spoke to us, though Elane gave us some smiles.

The stream that ran through the central chamber ended in a large underground lake filled with half-blind fish. We swam for a few hours, caught a few fish and ate them for lunch. When we returned, Brandon was waiting for us. "We'll be heading outside in a few minutes. Would you like to join us?"

I looked behind me. "Can they come?"

"Of course. Your wolf can stay, though. She'd only grow restless."

Brandon led us up a ways, climbing up the roots and vines like some sort of twisty, organic ladder. Melony almost slipped once, but Jay reacted fast enough and caught her.

As we neared the top, the tree opened, forming a sort of makeshift balcony or ledge large enough to hold several people. The other skinwalkers were there, speaking amongst themselves, though they fell silent when we emerged. Elane came over to us.

"You made it!" she said happily. "We were beginning to think all our work was going to be for nothing."

"Work?" I looked around, and saw that there were chairs and a mini-grill set up.

"We can't normally barbecue downstairs—you know, fire and all that, but if we're careful we can have some up here." She looked over my shoulder. "You brought Melony and…Ray, isn't it?"

"Jay," he said.

"Right! Sorry. Anyway, you guys thirsty?"

"Uh, sure," Melony said. "I'll have a Pepsi."

"Water's fine, thanks," Jay said.

She walked over to a little cooler and opened the top. She tossed Melony and Jay their drinks. "You want anything, Hunter?"

"No, thank you."

She shrugged. "All right."

A tall black boy about my age approached. "So you're the one Brandon's been watching." He had green eyes and no hair. "I'm Bandile Apeloko." He extended a hand.

"Hunter," I said. "A pleasure."

"You have a very nice accent," Melony said. "Where are you from?"

"Montagu. It's a little town in South Africa."

"Africa?" I said. "Can you skinwalk a lion?"

He scoffed and gave me a light push. "This is what I hate about you foreigners. You hear the word 'Africa' and all you can think about are lions and cheetahs and elephants. I have never seen a lion in my life. My companion is a Boer goat I call Shaka. I was born on a goat farm, you see. All my life I have known goats. All my life I have known Shaka."

"Sorry," I said, embarrassed. "I didn't mean to offend."

He laughed. "Think nothing of it. When I came here, I thought you all would have bald eagles and bison and grizzly bears."

I smiled. "I guess we're both disappointed, then." I frowned. "Hold on, are you a demigod?"

"I am not."

"Then how did you get here?" It didn't seem likely that he'd take a plane or boat just to come here.

"The same way you did."

"The Labyrinth. Wait, how did you get in?"

He pointed to a blonde boy with a golden sword strapped to his side. "He brought me. He is a half-blood like you."

"Nice to meet you," the blonde boy said. "I'm Richard Draymond, daughter of Ceres."

I frowned. "Ceres? You mean Demeter." Ceres was the harvest goddess's Roman name. Demeter was a spoiled bitch, but her kids had always been nice to me.

"No, I mean Ceres. You didn't really think you Greeks were the only demigods out there, did you?"

I gaped at him. "Well, yes."

He shrugged. "I am not surprised. After the Civil War, Lord Jupiter—Zeus for you—commanded the two sides be separated. Things get…bloody…when we meet."

"Like the Civil War," I said, realizing. "It was a demigod-on-demigod war, wasn't it? Romans on one side, Greeks on the other."

He nodded. "After Troy, the Romans deeply resented the Greeks. They've warred throughout history ever since. The Hundred Years War, War of the Roses, French-Indian War, all conflicts between the Greeks and Romans. It was sworn that we would never cross paths."

"Then why tell me now?"

"Because we know you will keep our secret," Brandon said. " _All_ of you." He said the last part to Jay and Melony.

I nodded. "We will. On the Styx."

"On the Styx," Melony and Jay said. Thunder rumbled overhead.

"Perfect!" Richard said. "Can't have a second Civil War going on."

"'Cause we'd destroy you," Brianna said.

"We?"

"Brianna here is a daughter of Invidia. You'd call her Nemesis," Richard explained.

I scowled. "How do you know we wouldn't beat you?"

"Because Praetors Jason and Reyna wouldn't let you."

"Who are they?"

"The leaders of Camp Jupiter," Richard explained. "Camp Jupiter and its city New Rome are at their total command. Praetor Reyna Ramirez-Arellano is a daughter of Bellona, a war goddess; she's a tactical genius and a gifted warrior. Praetor Jason Grace is a son of Jupiter and—"

"Wait," I suddenly cut in. " _Grace?"_

He blinked. "Uh, yes?"

"Hunter, what's wrong?" Melony asked.

I turned to her, heart pounding. "Grace is Thalia's last name."

Her eyes widened, as did Jay's. "Hold on," she said. "Are you saying that _Thalia has a brother_?"

"Has Praetor Jason ever mentioned having a sister?"

He frowned. "Uh, I don't think so, but we were never that close. I was Third Cohort, you see, and—"

"It's probably just a coincidence," I said, making sure to make a mental note to investigate this later. "It's nothing."

"You looked worried over nothing," said a voice. I looked down and saw a chubby boy with long curly hair looking up at me.

"Hello," I said. "What's your name?"

"I'm Theodore, but you can call me Theo. Or Teddy, if you want."

"How old are you?"

"I'm nine," Theo said.

"That's awfully young to be hanging out in a big tree in Alaska. Do your parents live around here?"

He looked away, wiping the side of his eye. "They don't…live anywhere."

I was confused by that, but Elane cleared it up for me. "His parents died a few months ago."

"Oh. I'm so sorry, Theo. I didn't know."

"It's okay," he sniffled. "You didn't know. It's just…hard sometimes."

"I'm sure it is." I knelt down and pointed. "You see those guys over there? Those are my friends Jason and Melony. They both lost their parents too."

He looked at them. "Y-You did?"

Melony nodded and knelt before him. "Mm-hmm. If you don't mind my asking, how did they die?"

"W-we lived next to a forest, and I'd take my hamster Rufus out there to play sometimes. Well, one day, I ran into a green lady out there, and she was interested in Rufus, so I showed him to her. She gasped and called m-me an a-abom-aboma—"

"Abomination," we all said, in the same bitter tone. "We've heard it before," I said. "What happened next?"

"T-That night I was sle-eeping, but I heard something downstairs, so I went to see. The green lady and some of her friends were down there, and they…they…"

Horror dawned on me. _No…_ For a dryad to do such a thing…it was unthinkable. Killing a boy's parents in an attempt to get to _him_? It was monstrous. _And they call us abomination._

"Food's ready!" Bandile called.

"Would you like something to eat?" Melony asked. When Theo nodded, she took his hand and pulled him away. "Let's get you some food, then."

Before we went to get ours, I pulled Brandon aside. "Please tell me you put those animals down."

He nodded. "Yes. Lady Physis saw the attack coming, but we arrived too late. Luckily Bandile, Richard, and I arrived in time to stop it. We killed the nymphs, then burned their trees down."

"Good," I said, wishing I had been there. _Killing children…disgusting._

We ate cheeseburgers and hot dogs, and Richard brought up a bag of potato chips that were gone in about five minutes. Mel, Jay, and I told stories about Camp Half-Blood, while Richard and Brianna talked about Camp Jupiter. It sounded so strange; a place where demigods were allowed to live and grow up and stay safe for the rest of their lives. I hoped I got to go one day. I asked more about Jason Grace, intending to ask Thalia about it when I next saw her.

As I talked and joked and laughed with my new brothers and sisters, I felt the tension leave me. I was finally in a place where I wouldn't be discriminated against, where I could live among friends and be happy. Even though it wasn't the cabin with Apollo and Leto, I felt that this place would be the next best thing to home I would ever know.

-o-

It was well past midnight when we returned to Haven. Melony waved goodbye to us and went to her quarters while Jay and I went to ours. Tomorrow my training would truly begin, and I was excited to get started. Still, thoughts swirled around my head. The gods of Olympus had Roman forms and their own camp; Thalia had a brother; I would never have children. _Leto will be so disappointed._ She had always wanted me to give her great-grandchildren.

As I was settling into my bed, Winter laying on the floor beside it, Cherry approached, carrying a little cup. "Nan."

She was speaking in the old tongue, but the message was clear: _Drink._ I held out my waterskin. "I already have some, thanks."

"Nan," she said again, holding the cup out to me.

I took the cup from her hands and held it close to examine it. It wasn't red like the dream-wine; more a dark purple, like an angry bruise. I smelled it, but it had no scent. "Is it safe?"

"Nan," she said a third time, then her face scrunched up like she'd smelled something bad. "Goo…ood. Nan."

I shrugged and tossed back the liquid, expecting it to be bad, only for it to taste instead like grape-flavored cough medicine, like the kind Leto used to give me when I was sick. I swallowed and washed it down with several gulps of dream-wine. I corked the skin and put it on the ground beside me.

"Your lips are starting to turn red," Jay told me from his bed. "Like lipstick."

I smiled. "You want a kiss, big boy?"

He scoffed and rolled over. "Good night, Hunter."

I laughed. "Night."

When I dreamed, I slipped into Winter and climbed down from the bedchamber, moving as quietly as I could so as not to awake the others. Brandon's elk lifted its head when I walked by, but did nothing; Elane's owl hooted, then went back to sleep. Three of the nymphs were speaking as I walked by, but turned to me, intertwined their fingers, and said, "Kashi ra."

Physis opened her yellow eyes and looked down on me. "A good catch to you, Hunter," she said quietly. I barked at her and went on my way. I managed to find a way out of the tree and took off running, searching for food. The moon was high and bright, but it seemed almost…sad…like it had lost something.

I chased down a squirrel and feasted on it. I heard a rustling from the bushes and turned to see other wolves emerge, growling. Their alpha, the largest of the pack, approached. I growled and told him to stay away, but he remained.

We fought, baring our teeth and biting at one another, rolling and scratching. He was strong, but I was bigger and more ferocious. I beat him down and made him show his belly, then lifted my leg to the nearest tree and marked my new territory. The air was fresh and buzzing with excitement, and as the losers fled I raised my head and howled.

And when I woke I was blind.

* * *

* Little to nothing is known about Physis in actual Greek mythology. The most notable thing I found out about her during my research was her name on a list of primordial beings, and even then nothing is actually said about her. Not even the Riordan wiki has any information besides "Protogenos of Nature." If anyone has any information on her I'd love to know about it.

A/N: Please leave a review telling me what you thought. Thank you so much for reading, I will see you all in a couple of days with the next chapter.

Bye!


	39. Chapter 39

I-lander's Mask: It's kind of unnecessary that is it if you can simply just pass on his skin changer powers to another then being sterile really doesn't matter does it?

Skinwalking cannot be passed on to another body or person. The abilities are recessive genes that are only activated when mixed with other genetic components. Skinwalkers being sterile was an effort by the gods to kill them off but by that time enough interbreeding had gone on that many people had untapped genes, which were then passed down through the generations.

Sidaqlotay07: Physis is a philosophical concept no ?

Yes, and is contrasted by "nomos," meaning "law" and "order" and "rationality." However, since "physis" in the philosophical spectrum just means "nature," or a state of chaos, I chalk this up to the word "Physis" just being the ancient Greek word for "Nature." Therefore, it doesn't have a whole lot to do with the goddess.

JosephLeeCollins: I would just like to take a moment to point out Hunter's hypocrisy. He killed the children of the mortal family that kidnapped and hunted him, but when it's someone else, it isn't okay?

In Hunter's mind any wrong done to him or those he loves is completely wrong and unforgivable. But any wrong done _by_ him is totally justified because he sees himself as being almost always right. It's not a good way of thinking and does in no way mean I'm justifying the murder of children, but Hunter hasn't always been the most stable mentally.

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Thirty-Nine: Practice**

I screamed. I screamed loud, and I screamed hard.

I bolted upright in bed, holding my hands out in front of my face. Nothing. I saw nothing. There were tears running down my face. _I-I can't see,_ I thought. _If I can't see I can't fight, I can't hunt, I can't…I can't…_ The thought was too horrible to even entertain. There had to be a way to reverse this, there _had_ to be.

"Hunter," Jay said, and there was a thump to the side, which I could only assume was him throwing himself from his bed. "What's wrong?" Suddenly his voice was right in front of me.

I blindly grabbed at him, pulling him by—what I hoped—his collar. "Come here."

"I'm here."

"Closer."

"I'm right in front of you!"

I screamed again and threw him away. I reached blindly for where I put my knife, picking it up by the sheathe and sliding it out. There was a muffled voice shouting from outside our quarters, but I couldn't tell who it was. It was too much, I had to get out of here. I pulled off my blankets and tried to get to the door, but I tripped over something furry, which gave a little yelp in response.

I sobbed, though from the pain or the shock I wasn't totally sure of. Something grabbed my shoulders and I twisted, stabbing at it. There was a crash to the side. Then something wrenched my hand around and the dagger slipped between my fingers. " _What's your problem?_ " Jay demanded angrily.

"Brother!" came Brandon's voice.

"You knew!" I screamed in his general direction. "You knew what would happen, didn't you!"

"I did."

"What?" Jay demanded. "What would happen?"

" _They blinded me!"_

" _What?"_

"It was for your own good," Brandon said peaceably. "Come with us and—"

"Jason, where is his neck?"

"About eight feet in front of you to the left."

"Now hold o—"

I lunged at him as quickly as I could, wrapping my hands around his pale throat and squeezing. He made a high, choking sound, uselessly beating at my arms and face to try and get me off, but I wouldn't budge. There were angry shouts, and I felt a hand tighten on my shoulder, but Jay said, "Leave him be," there was a smack of skin on skin, a cry of anguish, and the hand was gone. Winter was howling, growling, biting, and the caws of hundreds of crows echoed throughout the tree. Somewhere I could hear the clang of bronze on gold, and other curses and scuffles. My hands were almost squeezed into fists when something hard hit me on the back of the head, and I lost consciousness.

-o-

I was jostled awake by something hard hitting me in the side. I was laying on my stomach, and my head hurt. "Jason? Melony? Where are you?"

"They are here," said a familiar voice.

"Physis," I growled, getting to my feet. "You planned this, didn't you?"

"I did." Her voice was no apologetic.

I took a step. "If you think you can—" Something had hit me in the back.

"Ras ha zeshen, cul me fura cun," someone said.

"Ta," said Physis. "You have my apologies, Hunter. Ash should not have struck you."

" _That's_ why you're apologizing?" I demanded, incredulous. "How about the fact that you _blinded_ me?"

"I will not apologize for that," she said. "It is part of your training."

" _What?"_

"It is true, brother," came Brandon's voice, somewhere to my left. "We have all gone through it."

"All of you?" _Even little Theo?_

"Yes," said Bandile. "The loss of one's senses heightens the others. Your skinwalker abilities will be strengthened with each passing day."

"We will train you to hone yourself," said Elane. "And when you are ready, your sight will be returned to you."

"You swear?"

"On the Styx," said Physis. Thunder rumbled overhead.

I hesitated, thinking. "Where are my friends?"

"Look through Winter, and you will find them."

I slipped from my body and into Winter's. We were gathered before Physis's tree, with four of the nymphs surrounding me on all sides. The others were crowded around Melony and Jason, off to the right. They were both still unconscious, but none worse for wear.

I slipped back into my body. "Did you have to knock them out?"

"They were causing too much trouble. This was the only way to stop them. Worry not, their injuries were not threatening, and they should wake within the hour."

I licked my lips. "All right. When do we get started?"

"Right now."

-o-

Brandon and Elane each took an arm and led me to the center of the large chamber. Winter moved just ahead of me. When we reached the center, they let go of my arms and moved away.

"Why are we stopping here?"

"This is where your lesson begins," said a thick voice, heavy with accent.

"What lesson?"

Bandile said, "When we leave our bodies, they grow stiff and lifeless. This leaves us vulnerable to attack or ambush. We must change that. You must learn to move when in another's body."

"I can't," I said miserably. "I've tried, but it won't work. My body locks up, goes still, even when I try my hardest."

"That is because you have no true motivation. Hold out your hand."

I did. Something rough fell into it. I closed my fingers and felt with both hands. "A stick?"

"Yes."

"What do I need this for?"

"To defend yourself."

"From wha—?"

Something hard hit me on the arm. I screamed in surprise and pain and dropped my stick. "What was that?"

"Look, and see."

I opened Winter's eyes and saw him standing before my body, his own stick in hand. "Why are you—?" I asked when I had returned to myself, but he interrupted me.

"I am teaching you to adapt. You must learn to move, even when outside yourself."

"But—" Another hit, this time to my shoulder.

"Pick up your stick."

I bent down and fumbled for it, until finally my fingers closed around the hard wood and I picked it up. I heard his footsteps, and raised the stick in front of my face, but his blow came at my ribs. I stumbled.

"See through your wolf's eyes, not your own."

I looked through Winter's eyes, tried to lift my stick, but nothing happened. The blow to my temple brought me back to my own body. I stifled a sob, screamed in fury, and rushed at where I thought he was, swinging my stick like it was some battle-axe. My strikes hit only empty air, and then something whacked my legs and I stumbled and fell onto the ground. I bit my tongue and tasted blood.

A foot pressed down against my back, keeping me pinned. "Do you yield?"

"I yield," I said, trying not to let the tears into my voice.

"You must be better," Bandile said. "Open your mind and see through both your eyes and Winter's."

 _I'll kill you,_ I thought. _I'll take that stick and knock your teeth out._ "I'm trying."

"Try harder. Get up, we are not done."

For the next hour I tried, fruitlessly, to hit him, to move on my own. Whenever I'd try, my body would lock up and I'd get hit. When it was done I was bruised and bloody in a few places. Melony, who had woken by that point, gave me some nectar and got me a change of clean clothes. I was called to the center of the chamber two other times, after lunch and dinner, respectively. Each time I was knocked down into the dirt, a failure.

Time seemed to blur. I spent my time sleeping, eating, and training. Even after practicing every chance I got, I still couldn't move when not in my own body. Melony and Jason had to guide me everywhere, and when I tried on my own I'd trip over roots or walk into walls.

On the second day Theo showed my how to make my own dream-wine using the sap of the trees and several other common ingredients. It tasted first like old sour cream, then applesauce, a snowflake, a kiss from Leto, and old lullabies.

"You should always keep some with you," he told me. "It'll keep you sharp." After that he let me play with his hamster, and I let him pet Winter. I showed him the best places to rub; her belly, her chin, that one spot on her neck that left her panting. He laughed the entire time, and Winter adored him ever since.

Bandile was merciless; every time we crossed sticks at training he'd leave large welts or bruises. Once he even gave me a bloody nose, but some ambrosia fixed that soon enough.

 _You were a fool to come here_ , I told myself as I drifted off to sleep. _You thought they'd help you, but all they're doing is hurting you_. When I dreamed, I was back at the cabin with Apollo and Leto—home—and I was trying to walk. But every time I struggle to my feet Apollo would shove me down. _Get up_ , he'd say. _Get up, get up, get up._

 _I'm trying!_ I'd scream back, but he kept shoving me down. A part of me wanted to leave, to run from this place, return to camp and forget about Physis and Brandon and all of them. But another part of me wanted to stay, to claw my way through and master my gift.

On the third day Richard and Brandon told me of the history of our home. The ancient trees were called hist trees, ancient things older than most nature spirits. They were transported here when the Flame of Civilization moved west, taking Physis and the Morei with them. The Morei were the spirits of the hist, and it is through them that the sap is collected.

The fourth day began like any other; with Bandile beating the crap out of me. I'd try and use my ears to find him, but he moved so quietly I couldn't get a beat on him.

"Split your mind," he said. I slid to the left, but his stick caught my leg and sent me stumbling. "Use your gift." He whacked my elbow. "I'm getting tired of this nonsense. I'm starting to think you're just some useless little nobody. Hit me!"

I'd had enough by this point. Bad enough he was hurting me, but _insulting_ me? No more. I slipped into Winter, then waited for him to strike. The second before his blow landed, I returned to my body and parried.

"Well done," he said. "Now—" I surged forward, allowing my momentum to carry me while I went back into Winter. I saw where he was and swung my stick as hard as I could, catching him in the mouth. He stumbled away, bloody.

"Shut up and fight," I said.

He came on, cursing, but I used Winter's eyes to see where he was going. I knocked the tip of his stick away and thumped him in the forehead, leaving him dazed. Again and again he came, and again and again I'd slip into Winter, see where he was going, return to my body, and counter. I was constantly moving, sliding to the left and right or backing off then charging, so he couldn't get a solid blow. But I did. I'd peck his chest, his legs, arms, even once or twice at his hands. I changed bodies so quickly it was like blinking, and every time I opened my eyes I'd be someone else. It happened so quickly that after a while I realized I didn't need to switch anymore, that I could move when not in my own body, like I was some puppeteer controlling the strings of some mannequin.

I gave better than I got, and by now Bandile was bruised and battered. He let out a roar and charged. I feinted left, then swung right with a double-handed swing that hit home so hard the stick broke and half his teeth were knocked out.

He fell hard, and I pressed my foot against his chest. "Do you yield?"

"I yield," he said through bloody gums, but I could hear him smiling.

I smiled too. "Good. Now get up. We're not done yet."

-o-

For a week we continued like that. Sometimes it would be Elane, other times Richard, and once Theo gave it a try, but I held back because I didn't want to accidentally hurt him. Too bad he didn't feel the same. But Bandile was my partner ninety percent of the time. The nymphs mixed him a powder that, when combined with water or some other drink, healed him overnight. His teeth grew back white and straight, and now he smiled whenever we sparred. Jay and Melony spent their time exploring deeper into the cave, staying in their rooms, or going into town on supply runs for things like candy and toothpaste.

I had begun to learn the old tongue as well, so I could understand almost everything the nymphs said. Maple still had to translate every once in a while, but now she acted more like a bodyguard than a babysitter.

I could move almost as well as blind as I could when I had my sight, so long as Winter was beside me. Elane and Brianna taught me how to feel what Winter was feeling, and how to know when she was sensing danger.

From what Jay and Melony told me, my lips were as red as the others' due to how much dream-wine I was drinking. By now being inside Winter felt as natural as putting on a favorite shirt.

On the eleventh day after my blinding I was called before Physis.

"You have improved greatly," she said. The others were standing beside her, the nymphs flanking us on all sides while Jay and Melony stood to my right and left, respectively.

"Thank you, venerable one," I said. "But you should praise my brothers and sisters. Without them I'd be what I was before I came here."

"Just so, but it was you who strived to come so far. But you still have much to improve on."

"Yes, I know, but you will find me as eager in that as the ones behind me."

"Then step into the pool before you, and take your next step."

I looked through Winter's eyes. The stream that cut through the wide chamber widened into a large pool before the roots of the great tree. I stripped down to my underwear and walked in. The water was cold, almost freezing, but I took a breath and submerged. I felt around the sides and floor, feeling the rocks and dirt and mud. I wondered if any fish were down here, but there didn't seem to be any. I was never told how long to hold my breath for, but I was determined to stay down for as long as possible, so I waited, I waited until my lungs were screaming, until my heart was pounding and my whole body was begging for air. Still I waited, until finally I could take no more, surging to the surface with a great gasp, and when I opened my eyes I could see again.

When I looked to Jason, Melony, and Winter, they were the most beautiful things I had ever seen.

* * *

A/N: Do you guys think Hunter should tell Thalia that Jason is alive, or keep the secret? Let me know what you think and if it gets enough traction, it'll happen. Until next time.

Bye!


	40. Chapter 40

Sidaqlotay07: Thalia have the power of Skinwalking or what ?

No, definitely not. Hunter is the only person at Camp Half-Blood with skinwalking powers. In fact—this is something I should have said by now and I apologize for not doing so—those already introduced are the only ones of the current generation whose powers are strong enough to require training. A handful (less than a dozen) are out there around the world, but they're either too young or not powerful enough to require training; they can only do minor things like influence animals, they're too weak to do anything like go into their bodies or outright control them.

Jedi Bob: Why did you return his blindness so quickly? Seems like a bit of a wasted opportunity for development.

It was, but I wasn't really comfortable tackling the prolonged effects of having a disability at this point in the story. Hunter's blindness was also only supposed to be a temporary thing; the most I could do was bring it out to a second chapter. Any more than that and I risked making the skinwalkers antagonistic when they're supposed to be some of the main protagonists. There was also no logical reason to keep it going from a story perspective. Hunter had already mastered how to move his body when his mind was elsewhere—remember, he spent about a week and a half without his eyesight in-story—and that was the main reason why he was blinded in the first place. Now they move on to other lessons that don't need Hunter to be blind.

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Forty: Blast From the Past**

"The ward that Hecate gave is gone." Jay had pointed it out to me last night as we were going to bed.

"So it is," Physis said. "Likely washed off in the mixture we had you soak in yesterday."

"Shouldn't we do something about it?" I asked. "Orion and Niobe can find me now. They'll—"

"—do nothing. Rest assured, Hunter, our home is well hidden. Nothing will find us."

I wanted to question that, but Physis, weak as she was, was still a primordial. She _must_ be powerful enough to keep a mortal and giant out. "Okay, but I also noticed this." I showed her my arm. "The mark looks different." A handful of new glyphs extended from the intersecting lines all across my forearm, almost looking like images of animals.

"Is has grown," she said, "as has everyone else's. The stronger you grow, the larger your mark will become."

"There's more to learn?"

"Oh, yes. You have barely scratched the surface of your potential. You have been sheltered, hidden away all your life, with little chance to grow."

"I've grown." I had been on quests, trained since I was a child by Apollo and Leto, fought against Titans and monsters twice the size of me.

"Not in the ways you would want to grow. Your uncle feared your mother finding you, so he hid you away. That much you know, but you do not know this: Apollo also placed mental blocks on your powers as a way of keeping you tucked away."

"He wouldn't," I said, but then I remembered something Orion had said long ago. _He's been manipulating you all your life, suppressing your memories and your abilities._ He was lying, he had to be, but…

"He did not wish to cause you harm," Physis said. "Apollo loves you dearly, never forget that. But your powers would have acted like a beacon to Artemis. Nobody but her would have had those abilities, since she had no children, and she would want to investigate."

"Still," I said. "He could have broken them after I was found, or at least tell me about them."

"He could have, but he did not. Do not weep for what the gods could have done, you'll be crying all day. What matters now is improving. I will break down the barriers holding you back."

"You will?" I asked, excited. "How?"

"During your next lesson I will enter your mind and slowly undo Apollo's work."

I furrowed my brow. "How? Won't that be like taking over my body?" _Abomination._

"No," Physis assured me. "It will be like when I visit your dreams. Your body shall remain your own, but it will take time. Perhaps days. That is why you must remain focused on what you see."

"What I see?"

"Yes." She patted the food beneath her fingers. "You will skinwalk this tree."

" _How?_ " I asked, incredulous. _Skinwalking a tree? Is she mad?_

"I am not. You will do it as you skinwalk Winter. Trees are alive like you or I, and they can see in their own way. You will see through them."

"So I'll see this cavern?"

"No. You will see sights from all over the world, from all different times. To a tree time is different. Mortals like you follow the river of time downriver, never able to paddle against the current, but nature has no difficulty. A day is a breath to them, a year a blink, a millennia a heartbeat. And they are all connected. The roots are deep, and they run across the world. Every tree is connected to every other.* You will see everything this world has to offer."

"Won't the nymphs object?" Grover mentioned once that skinwalking a nymph was considered bad. _Bad enough to condemn me,_ I thought bitterly.

"No," Physis said. "Cherry has offered this tree to us, and called it an honor to share its bark."

I took a seat against the great hist tree and left my body. But instead of reaching for Winter as usual, I reached for the tree instead. I felt myself settle into the bark, to become one with the wood and roots and sap, and suddenly I was thrown through the past.

-o-

Sunlight shafted through patches in the treetops, making only a small part of the forest floor visible. A small girl sat on a pile of rocks, carving away at a piece of wood with a knife. Birds sang in the trees, and a squirrel chased another one along some branches. The girl's back was to me, so I couldn't see what she was making, but suddenly she jumped to her feet and exclaimed, "Yes! Finally!" She raised her hands, and I saw what she held in them was a wooden bow. It was sloppy; this must've been her first. "Let's see what you think of this, brother."

She turned, and I did a double-take. " _Artemis?_ "

She jumped, scanning the tree line. "Who's there? Apollo?"

Suddenly she was gone, and I was in front of a familiar-looking cabin. _Home._ Two familiar figures stood in front of it, talking quietly.

"Are you sure this place is safe?" Leto asked.

"I'm certain," Apollo said. "I've done my best to cover up his powers, she'll never know he exists."

"And Niobe?"

"She's dead. I saw her die giving him birth. There's no way she survived. And her plan dies with her."

"Good, but…how long do you plan on keeping him here? Until he's an adult? Older? What if he tries to run away?"

"We'll deal with that when it happens, Mother, but for now we—"

There was a soft snuffling sound, and Leto turned enough to give me a good view of a little bundle held in her arms. "Shhh, Hunter, quiet now," she cooed, rocking the baby back and forth.

 _That's me,_ I realized.

"Does he need to be changed?" Apollo asked, looking like he wanted to hold baby me.

"No, I think he's just hungry, is all. You did remember to get milk, right?"

"Yeah, just in here."

As I watched them enter the cabin, I felt a pang of sympathy. Apparently I'd been a rather fussy baby and would only eat a certain kind of milk. Still, they'd find out what I needed.**

The next vision was one of myself. Daphne and I were in a small clearing, fighting against the thugs Niobe sent after us. I raised an axe above my head and brought it down on one of theirs. The big man fell, and his brother screamed "BROETAS!"

The following vision also had clearing, but instead of me and Daphne, it was a group of three girls sitting in a semicircle of silver tents.

 _Thalia,_ I thought, amazed at how beautiful she looked, bathed in the light of the moon. Her tongue was sticking out of her mouth in concentration, and she looked like she was fletching arrows.

"Better," said a brown-haired girl, "but the vanes are too far apart. Here." She held up a template arrow.

"I'm trying, Sofia," Thalia said, "but it's just…difficult."

"You'll get it eventually," said a brown-skinned girl. "Just keep trying."

"Thanks, Penelope."

"You're welcome."

I saw a boy with sandy-blonde hair storming a fort with a legion of demigods at his back. Lightning danced from his javelin as he scaled the walls and fought side-by-side with a dark-haired girl in golden armor. When he reemerged from the fort, he was carried on the shoulders of his comrades shouting, " _JASON! JASON! JASON!"_

Somehow I knew it was Thalia's brother, Jason. _I should tell her about him_ , I thought. _She deserves to know._ But I had promised Richard I'd say nothing. The Greeks and Romans weren't meant to know about each other.

I saw a great wooden horse being pulled into a walled-off city, and thousands of warriors came pouring out in a sea of bronze-and-cloth. They swept over the city, destroying everything in their path, and left it smoking and charred.

A man sat in front of a circle of hist trees, head down, muttering prayers. Another man sat strapped to the tree, shirtless, his hands bound and mouth gagged.

A woman with green skin and deep red eyes emerged from beyond the circle of trees, carrying a long blade. She knelt before the praying man and said, "My king, the time is come."

The man rose and took the blade from her, placing a kiss upon her lips. "Thank you, my love. The child?" He put a hand to her belly, just barely beginning to swell.

"A son," she said. "A strong son, powerful with the gift. He will make a fine weapon."

"As will this one," the king said, pointing with the blade to the man strapped to the tree. "Though not so powerful as I'd hoped. It matters little." He approached the bound man and held the blade high. "With this I offer blood and flesh. With this I offer a soul." He drove the blade into the man's heart and pulled it out, wiping the blood on the bark of the tree.

The woman approached, holding out a circular shield. "I feel him within, it is done. All that id needed now is a name."

The man took the shield and slid it onto his arm. "Sthatheros." Suddenly his eyes snapped up and he looked at me. "Who's there?" He took a step—

-o-

—and suddenly I was back in my body. I sat up straighter, gasping, and looked at Physis. "Is it done?"

"Almost," she said. "My pardons. I did not mean to draw you from your trance, but the mental inhibitor I was working through was hidden deep within your subconscious. By breaking it, I must have pulled you from what you were seeing. What did you see, by the way?"

I rubbed my hands. I told her what I had seen, though I kept certain details to myself. "I saw him, I think. The Dark King. He was with a woman."

"The Wood Queen," Physis said, closing her eyes like she was going to sleep. "Aleth."

"What?" I had been learning to speak the old tongue, but _Aleth_ wasn't I word I recognized. "What does that word mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything, Hunter. That was her name. Aleth. She was queen to his king, and ruled by his side as an equal."

I swallowed. "What…what was his name? The Dark King, I mean. I know his name was erased, but…you must know, right?"

She sighed. "I do know. It is not a name I enjoy saying, but you deserve to know the truth of our people. Some of the nature spirits foolish or brave enough to say his name call him Ragathon, which means 'Cursed' in some dialects. Others who have forgotten his true name call him Adrian, or Otis, or Barak, Alesandro, Tassos, or Nicolas. All are wrong. Those were merely the names of men who followed him. His true name was Diomedes, like the king who was the bane of Ares on the fields of Troy."***

"He had a shield with him. He killed someone, then…did something with it. I don't know. He called it—"

"—Sthatheros. Yes, I know."

"What is it?"

"A terrible weapon, one of dozens he made to fuel his conquests."

"What do you mean?"

"When the Dark King went to war, he knew he would face opposition. His army was small, and not like to win against greater numbers, so his queen gave him a suggestion. He gathered his followers around him, and sacrificed them for his weapons. Their souls and their spirits went into the weapons, giving them power unlike any Greece has ever seen. As the years grew on he even began to sacrifice his own children for his engines of war. Those children were among the most powerful skinwalkers alive; born from the Dark King and his Wood Queen, who both possessed the gift. Their souls gave birth to the most powerful of these Profane Tools. God-killers, powerful enough to disrupt an immortal's essence."

"What happened to them?"

"The Dark King rightly feared their power, so he locked them away where none could find them. Most are still there, though a few have been lost, the rest were destroyed in the aftermath of the final battle where he was defeated. Only I know their location."

"Only you?"

"Yes, and it is going to stay that way."

"But if we could use some to kill Kronos—"

"—the gods would cast you down immediately. Besides, if you attempted to use one, they would likely take over your mind."

I frowned. "How? They're weapons."

"Weapons made from the souls of powerful skinwalkers. These are not like normal weapons—the Profane Tools are alive, though not in any way we can comprehend. The souls of those used to power them still reside there, and they're aware of what was done to them. They live, and silently scream for vengeance for what was done to them. Only a skinwalker has true protection from their mental control, and even then not very much. To attempt to use one of them is near suicidal, and would set us back by millennia. We would be hunted down and killed on sight. What happened to Theo would happen to every last skinwalker on the planet. They're better left buried, Hunter, trust me."

"I do," I said. "It was just a thought, nothing more."

"Good. Now—"

She was interrupted by the approach of Cherry. " _My pardons, lord and lady,"_ she said in the old tongue, _"but Lady Elane, Lord Theo, and the friends of Lord Hunter request leave to gather supplies._ "

" _Allow them,"_ Physis said. _"But make sure they return by sunset."_

" _As you command."_

She was turning to leave when I said, " _A moment, Cherry._ "

She looked at me. " _Yes, blessed one?_ "

" _Why is Maple the only one that can speak English, and not the rest of you? I've been wondering."_

" _Maple is still a sapling, barely four hundred years old! Her seeds are still fresh, her roots still short. As such, she has learned to speak your modern language for the sake of new recruits, but because she is young, she isn't allowed the more important jobs like harvesting the hist sap or guard the great trees. She insists she is ready, but our sisters and myself know better!"_

" _I'm sure she could be trusted to help,"_ Physis said gently.

" _As Lord Theodore is trusted to seek out new skinwalkers?_ " Cherry shook her head. " _No, my lady. My pardons, but we know these things. She is not yet ready, not for another century or so."_

Physis nodded. " _Very well. Continue."_

She crossed her arms in an X over her chest. _"Yes, my lady._ "

When she was gone, Physis turned to me. "I would like to show you something."

"Yes?"

She held out a hand. Dusk flapped down and perched upon it. "Go into Dusk, now."

I frowned. Something about that didn't feel right. "But—"

"I know you feel hesitant, like you are betraying Winter. That is normal. You are a part of each other, almost like a marriage. I'm not asking you to replace her, only to go into Dusk for a moment."

I took a deep breath and left my body. I entered Dusk's for only a moment when I threw myself out of him. "There's someone in there!"

Physis shook her head. "Not truly. Only the faintest whispers of a long-dead soul. Her name was Miranda Hyllian. She lived over a hundred years ago, and she was Dusk's partner before I."

"But how? Crow's can't live for a hundred years."

"Ordinary crows, no, but we are not ordinary. When a skinwalker spends enough time with an animal, a bond is formed. The animal's lifeforce is extended greatly by this connection. So long as you live, so too will your companion."

"So she became immortal?"

"No. Miranda died of measles in the 1890's. But her spirit lived on. That same bond that extends an animal's life, also prolongs the skinwalker's afterlife. A dead one's soul goes into the animal, and lives a second life through them, until the animal dies. Since I took Dusk on as one of my flock, he lives, thus keeping Miranda alive as well. Now, are you prepared to continue your lesson?"

"I don't know. I couldn't control what I saw last time."

"You will, given practice. And while you practice, I will wipe away the last of your restraints."

"So I'll be as powerful as I can be?"

"No. You will need to practice, to train yourself in your new abilities, to learn what you can do and how powerful you are. But we will help you with that. You can unleash your true potential. Are you ready?"

I smiled. "Yeah."

"Then let's begin."

Together, we closed our eyes and left our bodies.

* * *

* This is an actual thing. It's called the "Wood wide web," and it takes place when fungus from a plant travels or is moved to another a distance away. It's estimated that most plant life on Earth is connected this way. Now obviously not _every_ plant is connected to _every_ one else, especially those across the sea, but for the sake of our story, the world of _The Hunter's Heir is_ connected that way.

** You can read the continuation of this scene in _Hardships,_ as feeding Hunter is a large part of the first chapter.

*** In the _Illiad,_ the Greek warrior and king Diomedes fights Ares and Aphrodite with a spear blessed by Athena so he can hurt them.

A/N: Only a few chapters left (between one and two), so let me know what you think so far. Thank you so much for reading, I'll see you next time.

Bye!


	41. Chapter 41

**The Hunter's Heir**

 **Chapter Forty-One: Junk**

"You've gotten stronger, brother."

I smiled. "Thank you, Bandile." The mark on my arm was even more intricately designed now, with more designs of animals and symbols. In the days since I had begun my proper training, my powers had greatly developed, thanks to Physis. I could summon spectral wolves and crows. I could likely summon more, but I didn't feel comfortable experimenting yet. I had only chosen wolves and crows because they were the animals I was most familiar with. At the moment I could summon only a single wolf that lasted around ten seconds before I lost control and it faded back into nothingness. Crows, being smaller than the wolves, were much easier to maintain, though I could only manage half a dozen before losing my focus. I tried summoning more, hoping my body would get used to it, but I had ended up passing out.

We were sitting on top of one of the higher branches, like we had on my first day. We were eating some of the fruit that Melony and Jason had picked up from the mortal town. Speaking of those two, they were currently speaking with Richard and Elane about something that I couldn't hear.

I leaned in. "Are those two, you know…an item?"

Theo grinned. "They say they're not, but they totally have feelings for each other."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Brianna said, dry and sullen as ever. "It's awful."

"Why?" I know we called each other _brother_ and _sister_ all the time, but I didn't think it was _literal;_ more like a brother-in-arms kinda thing, like Artemis and her Hunters.

"Because she gets this _look_ on her face whenever he's brought up; she gets all smiley and blushes like crazy."

I grinned. "Sounds like someone's jealous."

She scowled. "I am _not_ jealous of their relationship."

"She's blushing!" Theo hooted.

"S-Shut up!" she said, crossing her arms and turning away with a humph as we laughed.

"You're training is almost complete," Brandon said.

"Soon," I agreed. "Then I'll be returning to camp."

I had expected them to be angry or to at least convince me to stay, but I wronged them. Instead, Brandon just nodded. "That's what we expected."

"I'll be returning to Africa," Bandile said. "Help my parents with the harvest. I can only hope my brothers haven't driven them mad yet."

"Rich and I'll be going back to Camp Jupiter," Brianna explained. "Finish up our service with the Legion."

"And you?" I asked Brandon. "Will you return after your training?"

"My training is already finished," he said.

"Then why stay?"

"I have nowhere else to go. My parents were both killed in a car accident, and I left before I could be placed into the custody of my grandparents. It's for the best; I hardly knew them."

"And Elane?"

"She has many months before she is ready to leave. She's only been here slightly longer than you, and her gift is far weaker than yours, so she hasn't had as much time to grow used to. After that…hard to say, but it will be her choice."

"Will we be allowed to visit after we leave?"

"Should you wish. Tell me, what is your camp like? As a mortal, I could never hope to go."

I told him about my time there, who I met and what I did. I also described the activities offered by the camp; canoeing, sword-fighting, capture the flag, etc.

"It sounds wonderful," he said. "Tell me, what is—"

"Excuse me?"

We all turned. Maple was standing there, spear in hand.

"My pardons, blessed ones," she said, bowing, "but Lady Physis wishes to see you, Lord Hunter."

I stood. "Probably to continue my training." I turned to Brandon. "To be continued."

-o-

I was in front of the Dark King this time, inside of a great tree that seemed to block out the sun of the little courtyard he was in. He was on his knees, praying, but then he stood and turned. I saw a bird nearby and entered its mind. By that time the king had already entered his palace. I followed. He was seated on a great throne in a grand hall filled with men and women. His queen stood to his right, behind the throne.

"My friends," the Dark King said, "I thank you for joining me. The petty city-states are weak. Our time is now. Sparta and Athens are in open war, the gods sit idle by and watch. Our chance is now! With our great gifts, we could rule Greece, and why stop there? Persia, Macedonia, Egypt, Cyprus, and Italy! They could all be ours! Will you stand with me?"

"With you!" shouted the crowd, hundreds and hundreds of skinwalkers, drawn to his power.

The Dark King rose to his feet. "We will spread across the land like a great tide, sweeping all those who stand against us away. You, my brothers and sisters, will be my great sword, my swift and terrible force. Aid me in destroying those who would hinder us, and you shall be rewarded. I shall give you treasure; gold, silver, jewels, homes and manses, men and women, boys and girls, whatever you desire. You will live like kings, like _gods_! Surely that, my friends, is worth a golden crown."

The crowd raised their fists and shouted, _"KING! KING! KING! KING! KING!"_

"You see now?" a voice whispered.

I turned and saw the queen standing near me. "You could have this power for yourself. Take up my king's cause and all shall fear you. Let me show you…" She reached out a hand and—

-o-

—I was pulled out of the trance by a loud _BOOM_ and the ground shaking. "What's happening?" I asked hurriedly, standing.

A hundred crows cawed out in alarm. "Attack," Physis said, face twisted in concentration.

"How?" I asked. _This place should be protected._ "By who?"

"A giant," she gasped. "With a great bow…glowing eyes."

 _Orion._ The ward! I reached for my neck where it should have been. "But you said we were safe!"

"I was wrong…there is…strong magic at work here…more powerful than mine."

"Niobe," I said. She'd learned magic from Hecate, and it must have been stronger than Physis due to how weak she was. "But…there has to be—"

Another shake. "You must flee," Physis said. "Take the others and go."

"No!" I cried. "Y-You're a god, we can work together, we can beat him!"

"I cannot. I'm…using all my energy to keep him out, but…it will not be long now. You must go."

"But—"

" _Get out of here!"_ Bandile yelled at us from across the room. "Richard, Brianna and I will hold him off." The three of then raced through the doorway with their animals at their heels.

"Go," Physis urged. "Take Brandon, Theodore, and Elane, and go. Keep our way alive."

"Hurry, brother," Brandon said, running toward us. "We have to—"

The doorway exploded into flames. Physis screamed. Theo and Brandon turned to look, and were cut down by massive black arrows.

" _Theodore!"_ I screamed, summoning my bow, but I hand grabbed me and pulled me back. When I turned, I saw Jay there. "Let me go! Elane—"

"It's too late for her," Melony said, grabbing my other arm. Look."

I did, and saw the girl on the ground, a massive arrow sticking through her stomach. I tried to run for her, but Jay and Melony pulled hard.

"Hunter," Physis said. "Here."

I grabbed her outstretched hand and held it tight. "Yes, my lady?" I said through tears.

"You are…the last one." Tears were streaming down her face. "Please…keep our way alive…train the next generation."

"But what about you?"

"It will take…a century or so for me to re-form. You must ensure our kind's survival until then. Please, Hunter."

"I…I will. I promise."

"Take Dusk." The flames were spreading farther now. "He…has shared my mind for over a century…he will teach you what to do." The little ugly crow landed on my shoulder. _I'll keep you safe,_ I swore. "Go…" A path opened up in the roots, almost like a hallway. "Run…"

I turned to look at the doorway. Orion was striding forward, massive bow in hand, as the flames swirled around him. Elane was still alive, desperately crawling toward us, one hand outstretched. Hedwig lie near her, dead. I turned to run for her, but Jay picked me up and carried me away. Winter came running after us, and Dusk just after her.

"Survive," Physis said to me.

" _PHYSIS!"_ I cried, as the sounds of Physis' screams echoed through the tunnel as the great tree where generations of my people had lived and learned went up in smoke.

-o-

We ran as hard as we could, as fast as we could. The tunnel shook, and it seemed like it would collapse on top of us at any second.

"What's happening?" Melony asked, brushing dust out of her hair.

"I don't know," I said, "just keep moving." It felt like something was right behind us, catching up…

Then suddenly there was a bright light and we were standing in the middle of a waste dump, full of garbage and discarded things.

"The junkyard of the gods," I murmured.

"You know this place?" Jay asked.

I nodded. "Percy, Thalia, and I came here during the quest to save Annabeth. It's a place the gods dump all their unwanted trash. Don't take anything."

"Wasn't planning on it," Melony said. "So how do we—"

"You are one tough boy to track!"

We all turned, standing there, grinning like he owned the world, was Orion. His bow was in his hand, his quiver on his back.

"I'll kill you!" I shouted.

He laughed. "Come now, Hunter, don't be like that. They were nothing to you, insects to be crushed."

"They were my friends! My family!"

"The only family you need is right here."

"Don't do anything rash, Hunter."

I turned. Niobe was behind us, dressed in a white dress that flowed like silk. Her hair was done up in a neat little braid, tied together by a band studded with jewels that matched her blue eyes. _Her magic led him to us._ She was going to die too. Painfully.

She spread her hands. "Come with us, we'll even leave your friends alive."

"I'm not coming with you, get it through your head already."

"Don't be foolish. You can't win. What has Artemis ever done for you?"

"She cares about me. You only see me as a weapon, she sees me as a person."

"And yet she abandoned you."

"Like you did. Artemis made mistakes, but she owned them. You can't do that. It's _your_ fault you insulted Leto that day, it's _your_ fault your children died, it's _your_ fault your husband killed himself. Nobody but you."

" _Shut up!"_ she screamed. "Shut up! It's their fault, not mine, theirs! Now you will come with us, Diomedes, or you will be destroyed!"

"Diomedes?" I frowned. "Your brothers called me that once. Why?"

"It's the name I wanted for you, but Apollo mucked it up, as usual."

"I like my name, I don't want yours."

"Son," Orion said. "Come with us, and you can have a family again, a true one. Don't you want your father?"

I turned back to him. "I already have a father. I don't need a second one."

"Just think about it. Already you grow stronger, why not aim for the top? With my help, you'll reach your true potential. You were _born_ to kill gods. Think about it. You could be so much more; greater than Artemis and I put together!"

" _No,_ " I said. "I don't want you. I'll never want you!"

He frowned. "Then you leave me no choice." He nocked an arrow.

I drew my knives. "You guys ready?"

"Oh, yeah," Melony said. Jay nodded. Then, together, we charged.

Orion fired an arrow at us, but I dodged and slashed at his chest. He sidestepped, unharmed, but Jay slammed him in the chest with a foot, sending him flying into a pile of garbage.

"Stop this!" Niobe cried. "See reason, Hunter, please!"

Orion rushed us. "Quiet, Niobe." He swung his fist at me, but I blocked with my shield and slammed it into his face. He stumbled back. "If the children want to play rough…" Melony slashed at his leg, but he sent her flying with a brutal backhanded slap. "…then I'll give them rough."

I fired an arrow, but Orion deflected it with his knife. Jay grabbed his hand and wrenched hard, until there was a popping sound, and Orion dropped his knife. I stabbed him in the leg, brining him to one knee, but he smashed my ribs with a closed fist. I landed among a pile of old televisions, gasping. I recovered in time to see Orion hit Jay away with his bow. He nocked an arrow, and I rushed at him, using my great speed to deliver a kick to his face. He missed the shot and spun, dazed. I dodged a low kick then came back, cutting at anywhere I could. I could still hear Physis' screams; I had to avenge her.

I grabbed Orion's wrist and flipped him over my shoulder. He tried to get up, but Melony grabbed his arm and squeezed. The sound of cracking flesh was heard, and Orion screamed as Melony's flames turned his skin black. Then Jay wound his foot back and kicked. Orion went flying into an old car whose alarm went off, blaring loudly.

Suddenly the ground began to shake. "Oh, what now?"

The scrap mountain was boiling, rising up. The thing that rose up from the metal was a bronze giant in full Greek battle armor. He was impossibly tall—a skyscraper with legs and arms. He gleamed wickedly in the sunlight. He looked down at us, and his face was deformed. The left side was partially melted off. His joints creaked with rust, and across his armored chest, written in thick dust by some giant finger, were the words WASH ME.

My eyes widened. "Oh, fuck," Melony muttered.

Niobe was standing atop a garbage pile, arms raised like she wanted to embrace the sky. Her eyes were clear and her hands were surrounded in a golden aura. She had to be the one controlling this…monstrosity.

" _Seize them,"_ she commanded in a voice rippling with power. The robot moved to follow her commands, taking a lumbering step toward us.

"Winter, Dusk, hide!" I screamed. They fled quickly, away from danger.

A massive foot loomed overhead, and suddenly it descended. Panicked and in sudden terror, Melony and I threw ourselves to the ground. Instead of being squashed, however, we found the giant foot being held up by Jay, entire body rippling with muscle. He gave a great shove, and the robot toppled over, shaking the ground.

"We need him alive, Niobe!" Orion screamed, climbing to his feet. "We can't work with half-blood paste!"

"I'm sorry," she shouted back. "This thing's really hard to control."

"Stay close to me," I told my friends. "Stray too far and she'll try to crush you again."

"Got it," Melony said.

Orion came at us, knife in hand, and we moved. I charged right at him, avoiding his blade, and throwing myself onto him. I wrapped my legs around his neck and used my weight and his momentum to bring him down. I rolled away, and he rose just in time for Melony to deliver a backhanded slash to his stomach. As he tried to get away, Jay impaled him from behind with his spear. Orion twisted, dislodging the spear, and kicking Jay away. He ripped the spear out and threw it at the son of Hera, who managed to throw himself out of its trajectory.

Behind us, the robot picked up a pile of debris and threw it in a wide arc. The pieces fell like meteors around us, shaking the earth and spewing up dust. I hoped—no, prayed—that Winter and Dusk were out of range.

A hand grabbed my face and slammed me down. I grabbed the arm, threw my legs around his shoulder, and used them to pin him to the ground. I twisted his fingers until I heard a crack and a scream.

I tried to get away, but Orion was on his feet in an instant, spinning, hitting me away with a closed fist so hard I flew several feet back. My arms and chest were bloody. "You really are a little bastard, aren't you?"

"Like father like son, I suppose." I summoned my bow and aimed, but Orion shot over to me, grabbed my arm, and pried the bow out of my hands. Then he slammed me into the ground so hard the wind was knocked out of me.

"Then as your father, boy, it's my job to teach _discipline._ " I raised my bow over his head and brought it down hard. I gasped and tried to get up, but my body wouldn't move. He brought it up and down again and again, until it broke.

Tears welled up in my eyes. That bow had been with me since I was a child; I'd hunted with that bow, I'd killed with that bow. It was the bow Apollo had used to teach me archery.

" _I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"_

I launched myself at him, grabbing his hair and stabbing his neck and face with my knife as many times as I could before he threw me away. His face was a ruin of broken skin and ichor, but he still had that unbearable smile. "I'll knock your teeth out!" I screamed.

"Hunter, stop this!" Mechanical wires wrapped around my leg. I cut at them, but Orion kicked me away.

He laughed. "Come now, Niobe, let the boy and I have some—uff!"

Orion reeled, spitting out blood and broken teeth. Jay had nearly knocked his jaw off with that punch. Orion drew his knife, but appeared from behind, stabbing him through the stomach.

"No more!" Niobe shouted.

The giant's hand closed into a fist that descended upon Jay, but he managed to catch it and shove it off. The hand dug into the ground and lifted us all up until we were chest level.

"Focus on Orion!" I shouted.

He drew his bow, but Jay knocked it away. Orion gave him a shove, but then I was inside his guard, cutting at his stomach. I slid out of the way of his hit, then watched as Melony cut his leg with her sword.

On and on like that it went, us rushing in and getting in blows, then retreating as he counterattacked while another targeted an opening. Niobe's automaton tried to intervene, but I was so close that it couldn't risk slamming down and crushing me, so it leaned this way and that, making the ground uneven. We didn't let it stop us, always on the attack. Orion got in his own blows; an elbow to Jay's nose, a knee to Mel's gut, an uppercut to my jaw. We didn't let it stop up. He was taking far more damage than we were, all we had to do was finish it.

I got that chance when Orion swung high, giving me the chance to wrap my arms around his waist and tackle him to the ground. Jay and Mel jumped on his arms, pinning them, giving me free reign to land blow after blow to his disgusting face. I aimed for the mouth, aiming to knock out the remaining half of his teeth. Ichor covered my hands and parts of my face, but I didn't care.

 _For Theodore,_ I thought as I punched. _For Bandile, for Elane, for Brianna, for Richard, for Brandon, for Physis!_

" _I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!"_

The giant robot opened its massive mouth and blew, its breath being strong enough to force me off of Orion and sent us all rolling toward the edge. Jay smashed a hand through the copper layer of the robot's skin and held tight. With his other hand he grabbed Melony's arm as she rolled by, and I grabbed onto her leg. The wind was freezing, nearly enough to make me let go. I closed my eyes and thought, trying to come up with some way of escape. Then it came to me.

 _Apollo!_

I slipped to Melony's ankle. Any longer and I'd be blown over the side, and after that…

 _Hunter?_ Apollo's cheerful voice said in my head. _Man, it's been too long! How are—_

 _Hephaestus's junkyard, in Arizona! Do you see it?_

There was a pause, then: _Yeah, I—Is that Orion?_ His voice had gone deathly serious.

 _The robot,_ I thought quickly. _Can you get rid of the robot?_ Killing Orion would be easy after getting rid of the giant copper-and-wire monstrosity.

He was quiet, then he said, _Give me a second._

 _Hurry!_

"I'm slipping!" Melony shouted. "What do we do?"

"Help's on the way, just hold on!"

"I'm trying! Hey…is it getting brighter?"

Now that she mentioned it, the sun _did_ seem to be getting brighter. So bright it was almost hard to keep my eyes open. Then there was a _Foom!_ sound, and something bright launched from the sun. It was so bright I had to look away, but the second before I did I thought I saw a large fiery arrow soaring toward us, so hot it nearly set us on fire.

 _BOOM!_

The giant machine shook, like a massive ripple through a small pond. It jerked once, almost in surprise, before it began to fall, and us with it. As I fell, I saw that something had blasted half the automaton's head clean off.

I couldn't see Melony or Jason, but I had to assume that they were going to be all right. The ground was coming closer and closer, and I opened my shield in an attempt to break my fall. I landed with a _thud_ and a _crack._ I screamed. The arm I'd used to break my fall had broken as well, and it hurt. There was no ambrosia. _I need to get to camp._

The broken machine landed all around us, shaking the earth. Dust and debris wafted into the air. I choked on it, trying to keep my mouth clear.

"Hunter?"

I rolled over. Melony was nearby, lying on her stomach. She was wounded, and obviously in a great deal of pain.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "I can't move my legs. I think they're broken."

"Hang on." I got to my feet unsteadily, bracing my broken arm with my good one. "I'm…I'm coming. Where's Jay?"

She shook her head. "I haven't seen him. He was near me when I fell, but I—Hunter!"

Something big slammed into me, pinning me to the ground. "You're not going anywhere," Orion snarled in my ear. He grabbed my leg and twisted until it snapped, then did the same with my leg. I screamed and held back tears.

I was lifted up slowly and thrown over his shoulder. He began to walk away, to where, I couldn't say.

"Hunter!"

Melony was crawling toward me futilely, eyes wet with tears.

" _Hunter!"_

I tried hitting his back, but my blows did nothing; I was without my knives—I'd lost them in the fall—and my bow was smashed to pieces. I had nothing left but my fist, and it wasn't enough. This was it.

" _HUNTER!"_

Something slammed into us, and Orion dropped me. I rolled, seeing Winter tearing at his leg with her teeth. Orion kicked her away and drew his bow. "Nasty little bi—"

Jason appeared from nowhere and side tackled him, pinning the giant to the ground and raining down punches on his face. Orion grappled him, trading places with the son of Hera.

 _Artemis!_

A pause, then: _Child? What are you?_

 _Orion, he's killing us! Only a god and mortal…I need your help._

 _You have it._

A sword materialized before me—a long, slender blade the color of milk, with a two-handed handle with a moonstone pommel.

 _Use my blade to aid smite the vile giant,_ Artemis said.

 _Thank you,_ I thought, and rushed at the giant. My arms were on fire, but I persevered. Jay saw me approach, and angled the giant in such a way that I could get to him easier. I cut with both hands, severing his head from his neck. He fell to the ground, dissolving until only his bow and eyes remained. _Goodbye, Father._

I looked down at the prizes of war. "Are you going to keep them?" Jay asked.

"I—" Heavy chains wrapped around my arms, legs, neck, and chest. I fell to the ground.

"Hunter!" Jay was flung away.

Suddenly Niobe was in front of me, eyes murderous. "You ruined _everything_! Almost two decades of planning up in smoke! You…you…I'll kill you!"

She wrapped her fingers around my neck and began to squeeze. I was beginning to see stars when a small fireball zipped past us. Niobe moved out of its way, and that's when Jay put his arms around her throat. "This ends now," he said. "No more hurt." He took her by the head and chin and _twisted,_ until her head was nearly all the way around. She fell, lifeless, and just like that it was over. I pulled myself to my feet, the chains having melted with their maker's lifeforce, as Jay went to get Melony. _So much planning, and so much suffering, and for what? Failure?_ It seemed almost…sad…how far two people could fall. All because of the gods, too.

I bent down and picked up my father's bow and eyes.

"I hope you're not planning on keeping those."

"Maybe I will, Jay. Maybe I will." The bow seemed like even payment for mine, but the eyes…I don't know. Maybe I'd leave them here, along with all of Hephaestus's junk.

"Whatever you do, you must hurry." Hecate was standing before us, resplendent in a dark gown and dark makeup.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"To offer you one last piece of aid."

"What?" Dusk perched on my shoulder.

"A way to return to camp. As we speak, the labyrinth crumbles. A great battle to place at Camp Half-Blood, and the aftermath will be jarring for all of you, but you must go now." She waved her hand, and a doorway of light opened before us.

Putting one of Melony's arms over our shoulders, Jay and I began to walk toward the door, Winter and Dusk with us. When we emerged, we were in the dining pavilion, but it was empty.

"Where is everyone?" Melony asked.

"Dusk, what do you see?" I asked. The bird took off, flying higher. He circled once, the cawed and began to fly toward Zeus's Fist. "We're coming."

As Hecate said, a battle had taken place. Campers were running wildly, trying to find siblings or tend the wounded. A giant person with a hundred arms stood tall near the boulders, laughing. Melony saw one familiar camper and called out to her.

"Bianca!"

The daughter of Hades turned. We must have looked a sight—bloody and broken, a dozen wounds on each of us, after having been gone for weeks. Her eyes widened. "Medic!"

-o-

Lee Fletcher was dead.

They told me after they had gotten everyone back to the infirmary. Twenty of us were there, broken and mangled in some way. Nico di Angelo had overexerted himself summoning half a hundred skeletons, and would be here for some time. The camp had run out of medical supplies before they could heal everyone, and would need to order more from Hermes. Bianca was almost hovering over her brother's bedside, holding his hand and fussing over him like she was his mother.

Kronos had risen again, taking Luke's body as a host. I didn't know such a thing was possible; for an immortal to house oneself within a mortal vessel. _Abomination._ But I couldn't focus on that. Lee was dead, the closest thing I'd had to a big brother. Apparently he'd been killed by some spawn of Gelos.* Lee had given him a nasty scar though; a long line from his lip that looked like a sneer. He'd escaped when the battle went awry, but I'd find him.

Pan had faded, passing on his blessing to Grover. It was that—his Panic ability—that turned the battle in Camp Half-Blood's favor.

"The Battle of the Labyrinth," as it was called, was the bloodiest conflict in the camp's history since the Civil War, where Greeks fought Romans as the gods did nothing. But nobody else knew about that, and I couldn't tell them. I'd made a promise.

Quintus had been the inventor Daedalus, creator of the labyrinth. I wasn't sure how to feel about that. Apparently he'd helped Percy and Annabeth on the quest and assisted the camp during the battle, so he couldn't be that bad. He'd died when Bianca released his soul to the afterlife in order to stop the spread of his maze. That was why the tunnel had been collapsing after we'd escaped from the tree.

Percy and Annabeth told me all about it when they visited me. Annabeth's eyes were red, like she'd been crying. And there was a tension between the two of them. Something had changed, I could feel it.

"I wanted you to come with us," Annabeth said, "but you were gone when I came to get you. This"—she held up the note I'd left—"wasn't very specific."

"Yeah," Percy said. "Where'd you go?"

I shifted slightly in bed, then winced when my arm nudged the guardrail. Annabeth helped me. "Sorry. I wanted to tell you in person, but there was no time." I told them a bit of what I'd done, but I left out the majority. They only knew that I'd gone to a place for people like me, and that they'd helped me get stronger.

"You feel stronger," Annabeth confessed.

Percy agreed. "You almost feel as powerful as me."

I rolled my eyes. "I could kick your ass six ways to Sunday, Percy."

He laughed. "I see your sense of humor's still intact. Hey, what's this?" He held up the sword I'd used to kill Orion.

"A gift from Artemis."

"It's a little big for her, don't you think?"

I shrugged. "Maybe she's overcompensating for something?"

"Maybe. It's heavy, too."

It had seemed light as a feather when I used it. "I guess."

He put it back. "Listen, we'd love to stay, but Grover's new trial is starting soon."

I waved a hand. "Go, I'll be fine. Tell me what happens, yeah?"

"Of course." He gave me a smile on the way out, and Annabeth squeezed my shoulder.

Hours passed, and the sun had just set when Will Solace entered, looking pensive. "You have visitors."

"Tell them to go away." Percy and Annabeth had already been by a second time, and Mel and Jay were both in the infirmary as well, so there wasn't anyone I was particularly enthusiastic to see.

"I…can't. They insist on speaking to you."

Now I was annoyed; I just wanted to sleep and get this day over with. "Tell them to fuck off."

He paled. "I…You're going to have to do that yourself."

"Oh, please do," said a familiar voice. The curtain around my bed opened, and I saw Apollo and Artemis standing there. "I'd love to see that." Apollo grinned.

"Fuck off," I said. I looked to Artemis. "You too. I want to sleep."

"Sleep," she said, coming to stand next to me, "is going to have to wait, my child."

I groaned and put my head down. _Why can't this day just end?_ "What do you want?"

"To check in with you," Apollo said, pulling over a chair and setting it up next to my bed. "See how you're doing."

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Artemis asked.

"Absolutely."

The twins shared a look. "You can tell us anything, Hunter," Apollo said, putting a hand on mine. "We're here for you."

"No one shall hear us," Artemis said.

"Are you sure?" I asked, then noticed a silver glow to the curtains. I had to assume it was some sort of magical soundproofing.

"Yes," Artemis said. She sat down at my other side, and took my hand. I winced, and she instead placed her hand atop mine. "Tell us everything."

"Orion and Niobe are dead," I said, "but you probably guessed that. Thank you both for helping."

"Of course."

"No way we'd leave you alone against him, kiddo."

"I wasn't alone. Jason and Melony helped. Jason killed Niobe himself. I got Orion." I swallowed a lump in my throat.

"Hunter," Apollo said slowly, "where were you, before the battle? You've been missing for…what, three weeks?"

"How do you know that?"

"We could feel it."

"Feel it?"

"Yes," Artemis chimed in. "We can sense your presence faintly, but then one day you were gone."

Apollo snorted. "This one nearly drove herself up the wall worrying about you."

Artemis hissed at him. "Be that as it may, suddenly you were gone. It's not an easy thing to hide yourself from the attention of an Olympian. How did you do it?"

"Thank Hecate. She's the one who put the ward on me."

They exchanged another look. "Hecate has joined Kronos, why would she—"

"Daphne's her daughter," I said, "and she felt like repaying her debt to us. Didn't work out too good. Orion still found us eventually."

"Us?" Apollo asked.

I hesitated, then said, "Jay, Melony, me…and the other skinwalkers."

"Others?"

"Yes. There were six of them. The only six people like me in the world." I blinked back tears. "My brothers and sisters. And he killed them, everyone. It's my fault."

"Oh, no," Artemis said. "It wasn't your fault."

There were tears running down my cheeks now, much as I would've preferred to keep them back. "It was. He was there for me, if I hadn't been there, they'd still be alive."

Apollo reached over and pulled me to him. I cried into his chest like a baby, sobbing uncontrollably. Artemis reached over and rubbed circles into my back. For a while we remained like that, until I was able to control myself and pull away. His shirt was wet. I winced. "Sorry."

"It's fine," he said. "It's just water."

I wiped my nose. "They were good people."

"I'm sure they were," Apollo said. "Were they all half-bloods."

"A few were mortal. I was the only Greek demigod."

"What do you mean?"

I swallowed. "I think you know, Diana."

For half a second, she allowed her surprise to show, but then covered it up. "I don't—"

"Don't bother hiding it, I know about the Romans." Now they both looked surprised, like they'd been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. "You—the gods, I mean—kept us secret from one another. So we don't know about each other and start a second Civil War."

"Yes," Artemis said, "and you will keep that secret for us."

I didn't like her telling me what to do, but I'd already made that promise. "Thalia should know. Her brother's praetor of Camp Jupiter."

"You've learned much," Apollo said.

"And grown stronger. Your mental blocks are down, in case you hadn't noticed."

He nodded. "I figured."

"Why not take them down yourself?"

"Because I feared what could happen if I did. My main goal was to keep you safe, and use of your powers would have drawn unwanted attention. Attention that was drawn anyway when Artemis found out about you and later claimed you. I just haven't taken them down since then because it slipped my mind."

"Regardless," Artemis cut in, "we are getting off track. You cannot tell Thalia about her brother. If she were to find out, she would attempt to contact him; if that happened, the camps would know about each other, and if that happened, there would be war."

"You can't stop that," I said. "Someone's going to find out _eventually_. And what will you do then, sit back and do nothing?"

"It will not happen, because no one will find out. You will keep that secret."

"You can't stop me from telling her."

Her eyes flashed. "No? I am your mother; I can tell you to do what I wish."

I scoffed. "Why don't you ask Leto how well that goes. Besides, I would think _you_ of all people would be able to sympathize. What if Apollo was presumed dead, but was actually alive and well somewhere else? Wouldn't you want to be told?"

"This is not like—"

"It's _exactly_ like that."

"Why must you be so _difficult?_ Is it because you love her?"

I swallowed. This could go _very_ badly. "Yes, because I love her."

"I see." She was quiet for a minute. "You know you cannot act upon those feelings."

"Yes, I know how your little fan club works."

"They are not—"

"Spare me," I said with a wave of the hand.

Artemis looked like she wanted to argue, but Apollo stood up. "Hey, let's just take a breather here."

"You're right." I wiped my nose. "I'm sorry about Lee."

He closed his eyes. "He was a brave boy. I just wish I'd known him better."

"You could talk to his siblings," I suggested. "You could know him through them." _And know them too, before it's too late,_ was the unsaid message.

"Yes," Artemis said. "That sounds like a wonderful idea."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes," Artemis said. "We'll be fine. I wish to speak with Hunter alone."

He nodded. "Okay." He kissed my forehead. "I'll see you later, kid."

"See you."

He left, leaving the two of us alone.

"I'm sorry."

She blinked. "What?"

"I said, 'I'm sorry.' I shouldn't have talked to you like that. That was…the old me. I promised I'd be better."

"I'm sorry too." She placed her hand on mine. "I'm not used to being disrespected. I will…have to get used to that, I suspect, when dealing with you."

"I'm trying to improve."

"I can tell. The old you would never have apologized." She looked me up and down. "How are you, Hunter?"

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Orion was, for all his flaws, still your father. And killing him could not have been easy."

"No," I admitted. "I wish…I wish something could have been done to stop that, something peaceful. But…that's not the world we live in."

"No," Artemis said quietly. "No, it is not."

A moment of quiet. "Thanks for the sword, by the way."

"You're welcome."

"Is it new? I've never seen it before."

"No, it is not new." She picked it up and unsheathed it. It glowed faintly, like moonlight. "It's called Dawn, and it was a gift from my brother Hephaestus."

"I never pictured you as a sword kind of goddess."

"That's because I hardly ever use it."

"Why not?"

She blushed. "We don't need to—"

"But I want to know. Why do you have a sword if you don't use it?"

She sighed. "When I was a younger goddess, my brother was showing off how many wonderful gifts he'd received. He was most proud of a magnificent golden sword he'd received for his ascension. He teased me about how amazing his sword was, when I only had my knives. I told him knives were just as good as some stupid sword, and he laughed at me." I remembered the sword; Apollo would often use it during training. "I challenged him to a duel, and he agreed. I was better in ranged combat, but he had me beat at up close and personal. He knocked me on the ground and laughed at me. In anger, I went to Hephaestus and ordered him to make me a sword as good as my brother's. He toiled for three days before it was completed. I challenged my brother immediately, and was able to wound him, but he was still my better at swordsmanship. Still, I'd regained my pride, and had gotten a beautiful sword in the process, but…"

She sighed. "In my anger and jealousy, I forgot the most important thing about weapon use—practicality. The sword was far too large to use in my favored form, and I'd gotten so used to my knives that not using them felt wrong, like a betrayal. So I stored the sword away in my palace on Olympus and convinced those involved not to repeat the story."

"Why not give it to someone?" I asked. "Zoe, for example?"

"Because I still had a certain fondness for it, despite my embarrassment, and only wanted to leave it to someone worthy. Someone like you."

I blinked. "Me? Why?"

"You are my son and heir. It seems only right that Dawn be a symbol of your status. It's made of moon silver, capable of killing both monsters and lycanthropes."

"I'm honored, Artemis, but I don't know what being your heir means."

"It means you will be my successor."

"Your…" I gaped at her. "You don't mean—"

"When my time comes, you will take my place as god of the Hunt. You will lead my Hunters—though you may want to change the name; Hunters of Hunter sounds a little repetitive, no?—and sit on the Olympian council."

This was all too much to take in. "But…but…I'm a guy! Do you really think your Hunters will follow me?"

"If you give them time, yes, I do. This will not be for several millennia, Hunter, you needn't worry too much about it now."

"But what if something happens to me, what if I die?" I had no intention of living that long.

"Then you will be resurrected upon my fading to take my place. Or you may be granted godhood before then and serve at my side as a minor god until then. My brother's son and heir Asclepius did that."

"I don't want to be a god," I said.

"You will, in time," she said.

 _You must ensure our kind's survival until then._ I opened my mouth and closed it. "As you say."

She cocked her head to the side. "What are you thinking about, child?"

"I promised Physis I'd look after the next generation of skinwalkers. I plan on doing just that."

"I see." She extended a hand. "I can make you a god right now, if you so wish."

"No!" I coughed. "No, thank you, Artemis. I'll…need to think about it."

She nodded. "Very well. The choice is yours when you are ready."

"I'll never have children of my own."

She frowned. "What?"

"I'll never have children of my own," I said again. "Skinwalkers are sterile, thanks to your father."

"Ah, yes, well, you know there was good reason for that."

"I do. Doesn't mean I have to like it, though."

"No, I suppose not. I'm sorry, for what that's worth. I know you wanted some."

"How—?"

"Thalia told me. She said you wanted to get married, to have children."

"Yeah, well, I can only do one of those now." _But the one I want is supposed to remain a maiden._ "Do you think Leto will be upset with me?"

She gasped. "My mother would _never_ hold you accountable for that!"

I felt my lip quiver. _Not again!_ "She's always wanted me to have children."

"My nieces and nephews provide her with _more_ than enough great-grandchildren. If she is cross with you, I will set her right."

"You'd really do that for me?"

"Of course." She smiled. "You are my son, and I love you."

I smiled too. "Thank you."

"Of course. Sit up."

"Excuse me?"

"Sit up."

I did, leaning forward as far as I could go without serious pain. Artemis climbed onto the bed and settled herself behind me, one leg laying on either side of me. Then she put her arms around my waist and pulled my back, until my head was laying on her shoulder.

"Really?" I asked, trying to disguise my embarrassment.

"Yes. Comfy?"

I wiggled a little bit. "Now I am." I relaxed and sighed. She kissed my cheek and leaned back, her arms still wrapped around my midsection. After a moment of silence, she started humming. I recognized it immediately as my eyes grew heavy; it was an old lullaby that Leto used to sing for me when I was young.

"Are you trying to lull me to sleep?"

"Is it working?" she asked innocently.

I opened my mouth to answer, but the words died on my lips as I felt myself slip deeper and deeper into sleep.

-o-

Chiron ran a hand through his hair and sighed. The battle had been won, yes, but not without cost. Over two dozen of his campers lay dead, and half a hundred wounded in some way. Thankfully nectar and ambrosia had healed most of them, but they'd run out of their stock and would need to wait for Lord Hermes to deliver more. Until then, over twenty campers would need to remain under close watch in the infirmary.

It was late by now; the funeral processions had lasted far longer than anyone would have liked—to have even one was too much—and Grover's trial had been immediately following that. Thankfully the council had been lenient, but it did little to alleviate Chiron's woes. He could still see the shrouds burning, carrying the campers he'd cared for, the closest things to children he'd ever know, onto the afterlife. He prayed that Lord Hades would be merciful and allow them all entry into Elysium.

Quintus…Daedalus, and how foolish he'd been to not see it…was not spared such a life. According to Bianca di Angelo, he'd be stuck in the Fields of Asphodel for eternity, though he'd been allowed to see his kin on weekends; and he'd be building bridges to reduce the foot traffic, so that seemed like mercy enough.

Chiron looked at himself in the mirror. His beard and hair were a mess. He ran his hands through them, trying to at least look put together. He's retreated to his bedroom in the Big House after Grover's trial, to be with his thoughts. He'd put on his favorite record and opened a bottle of scotch—behind closed doors, for the sake of Lord Dionysus. He hadn't had more than a glass; not enough to get drunk, but enough to lessen his grief ever so slightly. He still had one thing left to do today. After that he could return to his bedroom and drink his sorrow away for the night.

But not yet. He pushed himself away—he'd broken his leg in the fighting and would be confined to this infernal thing for the next few weeks—and rolled out of the Big House. The campers were all asleep by now; the loss of life had been too great for a campfire or sing-along. He wheeled his way past the arena and toward the infirmary. All campers had been accounted for during the battle, except three.

They'd disappeared the night before Annabeth's quest departed, and had returned after the battle. That…proved suspicious. He would never dare question their loyalty, Hunter's two completed quests and numerous deeds in support of the gods proved that, but still.

The son of Artemis had always vexed Chiron, in some way. He'd been an anomaly on his own, but he'd always had a chip on his shoulder, some deep-seeded feelings of anger and resentment. Beneath all the sarcasm and arrogance was an almost obsessive need to prove himself. Chiron had tried to help him, but the boy had always pushed him away. His friends were another matter.

Jason was always somber and quiet, while Melony seemed fiery yet naïve. They were both loyal to the camp, but even more so to their friend. Chiron suspected that if Hunter was ever to leave camp, the other two would not be far behind.

That was why he needed to speak to them, to see where they had disappeared to. He'd wanted to do that earlier, when they arrived at camp broken and bloody, but the infirmary had been a tide of people coming and going, so he'd waited. As he neared the Big House, he saw Will Solace, son of Apollo, exiting. "Finishing up, William?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah, I just need to go get Kayla, let her know it's her turn." They had established a shift, to keep watch over the patients most in need, in case they needed something.

"Is everyone doing all right?" Chiron suspected Will was looking up on a certain son of Hades who had captured his attention. Nico and his sister Bianca's efforts of summoning a small army of skeletons had done much to turn the tide of battle in their favor. But the strain had been too much for the boy, and he'd passed out after the battle's completion.

"Mm-hmm. Calvin needed some new bandages, and Sheryl had to use the bathroom, but other than that it's been quiet. What are you doing here, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I need to speak with Hunter. You can go back to your cabin now, I'm sure your father is wondering where you are." Lord Apollo had been kind enough to attend the funerals for his children, and would be staying at camp for the night to make sure the rest of his cabin was doing okay.

For some reason the boy went pale. "I-I don't think that's a good idea."

Chiron frowned. "Why not?"

"W-Well, he's sleeping, and—"

Chiron had had enough. While normally he'd be patient and respect the need for sleep, now he wanted nothing more than to get to the bottom of where Hunter and his friends had been. "I don't care if he's sleeping; he left camp with no warning and did not return until just this afternoon. I need to know why, now move aside."

"But—" he started, but Chiron moved by him quickly. He moved to Hunter's allotted bed and threw back the curtain.

"Hunter—" he started to say, then choked on his words. When he'd entered, he'd expected to find Hunter sleeping with that giant wolf of his; and while she was there (sleeping comfortably under the bed), what captured his attention was the goddess holding Hunter's sleeping body. She appeared to be asleep as well, eyes closed softly with both her hands wrapped around Hunter's midsection. He seemed to be resting atop her, his head on her shoulder.

Chiron could do little more than stare, so surprised was he by this sight. If he'd been more aware of his surroundings, he likely have noticed Will Solace sneak out as quietly as he could.

It seemed almost impossible, like his eyes were playing tricks on him. Slowly, he reached his hand out, to see if what he was seeing was really there.

"Chiron."

He stopped short, and a foot or so away from the sleeping forms before him. He swallowed, then reached again.

"Chiron."

This time he knew it was true, because the goddess's lips had moved when she spoke. "Y-yes, my lady?"

"What do you think you're doing?" Her voice was like the breeze through a forest; so quiet he needed to strain himself to hear.

"I…I need to speak with Hunter."

A pause, then: "Do you see my son is sleeping right now? How relaxed he is?"

"Y-yes, but—"

"Good. That's good, because he has had a veeery emotional and exhausting day and he needs his sleep."

He clenched his fist in an attempt to overcome his fear of the situation. "While I understand that, I—"

"Can you see how comfortable he is, how happy, how calm? Do you really think what he needs is to be woken up and questioned right now?"

"My—"

"While I understand the need to ensure your camp's safety, rest assured my son has nothing but its best interests at heart."

"I'm sorry, my lady, but—"

"Not yet you're not." At last she opened her eyes, and those silver-gold orbs glowed with power, like a mother bear ready to defend her cub. "Do you see how happy I am right now? Do you?"

Deciding it was best not to argue for fear of being cut off, Chiron stuck with one-word answers. "Yes."

"Wonderful. Do you know _why_ I'm so happy right now?"

"No."

"I'll tell you. It's because I'm here, with him. Do you know how many times he's allowed me to hold him like this?"

"No."

"Two. Two times, and this is one of them. My son and I have not had the best relationship, Chiron, so moments like these are treasures to me. If he wakes up, this moment will be ruined. So, rest assured, if you do anything to disturb him and ruin this beautiful moment, I will be teaching the next archery class here, and I'll use your tail for a target. Am I clear?"

He swallowed, the full impact of the threat setting in. "Yes, crystal."

It was at that moment that Hunter made a noise in his sleep and squirmed ever so slightly. For a moment Chiron's life flashed before his eyes, but Artemis lulled her son back to sleep with a few quiet words and a kiss on the cheek. He settled down and went back to snoring. The goddess fixed the old centaur with a look that could curdle milk. "Good, now go."

Chiron did, turning hastily and leaving the two of them alone.

-o-

I spent the next three days stuck in that infernal bed. I couldn't move because whenever I did a stab of pain would shoot up my arms and leg. Winter and Dusk made for good company, but they couldn't be around all the time, so I was stuck with Mel, Jay, and Nico. The son of Hades was given one of the first pieces of nectar, thanks in no small part, I'm sure, to Will Solace, who was second-in-command of his cabin now that Lee was gone.

Thinking about Lee still hurt; he'd been almost like a brother to me in the years since I'd arrived at camp, welcoming and trusting. I promised him I'd find the smiling boy who'd killed him and make him pay.

The nectar and ambrosia worked wonders, but there was only so much we had and so many people still hurt, so I'd only gotten a small portion. That was fine, I wasn't complaining, but it just meant it took longer to heal, made even worse by how injured I was. My leg was fixed first, so I could at least move around, but there were still bits of pain if I put too much weight on it. I was able to talk Will into letting me return to my cabin, but he still wanted to check up on me every morning to see how I was doing.

Dusk made himself a nice little nest on the windowsill closest to my bed. I made sure none of the branches fell into the cabin itself, and he always preened outside, so he never brought too much mess in. I spent a great deal of my time in the hospital skinwalking him, to learn some of what Physis had known. But there was so much, and not even I could stay inside a bird's mind for very long.

Winter seemed jealous of how much time I was spending in Dusk; she was constantly rubbing my hand with her head or sniffing at me. I made sure to give her attention too. Percy and Annabeth stopped by more and more to check in. The Hekatonkkerie Briares would be traveling to the undersea kingdom of Poseidon, while Tyson would be staying till the end of the summer. The death of Pan had been divisive, to say the least. It seemed like half of the nature spirits wanted to follow Grover, while the other half wanted to stick their heads in the dirt and pretend everything was the way it had been. I decided to stay out of their politics; if they decided to end the skinwalkers as a whole and attack me, I'd likely be killed just through sheer numbers; then there'd be nobody to teach the next generation. I had to survive, to fulfill my promise to Physis.

On the second night after being released from the infirmary, I was asleep on my bed, tossing and turning—I had always felt more comfortable on my stomach, but with my arms still hurt I was forced to stay on my back—when I was suddenly awoken by something. I turned…

…and saw someone standing there.

I screamed, then they screamed, then I screamed again. I threw myself from the bed, grabbing the knife I kept under there, and forcing down the scream that came from both using and landing on my arms. I felt a hand touch me, and I whirled around, cutting at them. They threw themselves back, landing hard on the ground. And there, sitting in the moonlight coming through the window, I saw the person.

" _Maple?_ "

The nymph jumped to her feet. "Blessed one! My apologies for frightening you, are—"

I threw myself at her picked her up in a tight hug. There were tears running down my cheeks, and I sobbed. She survived! If she survived, then some of the others could have too!

"Are…are you all right, my lord?" she asked timidly.

I pulled away. "Yes, yes I…" I winced as pain shot up my arms "…I am fine. I'm just…so happy to see you right now. Are any others with you?"

She closed her eyes to block the tears, though one escaped. "No, my lord…my sisters are all gone, as are those we had sworn to protect. I failed."

My heart sank. _I'm still the only one._ "I see. How are you here, Maple?"

"Lady Physis used some of her power to send me away. My tree and roots have been relocated, so there could be at least one guardian left."

"Relocated? Where?"

She pointed out the window. "Deep into the woods, where none of the halflings or nature spirits could find me."

"Where?" I had to know. I had to see it. "Show me."

"My lord, I don't think it—"

"Physis commanded me to ensure the next generation of skinwalkers would be taught our ways. I can't do that if I don't have access to hist sap. For that, I need to see the hist tree, so take me _now._ "

She nodded. "Yes, my lord." She took a step, then hesitated. "Are you certain? It is far away, and you look like you're in pain."

"Then I'll scream."

"It is a _very_ long walk."

"Then I'll scream loudly."

She nodded. "Very well." She took one of my arms and put over her shoulder to support me.

I whistled. "Winter, Dusk, with me."

They came. Winter loped at our heels, making sure none dared approach. Dusk flew overhead, keeping a watchful eye out. I didn't hear any of the cleaning harpies out, but I made sure we went slowly. That was both a way to make sure we weren't detected, but also to hide how slow we needed to go in order to avoid causing me too much pain.

As we entered the forest, I asked, "Why wait so long to seek me out, Maple? It's been almost a week since the attack."

"In her haste to send me away, Lady Physis never actually explained _where_ you would be. She said only that I was being sent to Camp Half-Blood, and that it was likely you would end up there."

 _Then Physis knew I would be the only one remaining._

"It took me some time to find where your camp was," she continued. "Because I was new here, none of the other nymphs trusted me. I had to find my own way around; took me almost two days to do that—I wandered in the completely wrong direction at first—and when I did I never had the chance to speak with you. You were always with someone. I did not come last night for fear of being seen by your harpies."

The moon was halfway set when we made it to the tree. I gasped. A large clearing opened up, with a great pool in the center. All around it, bright flowers blossomed in the summer warmth. And there, across from the pool, was the hist tree; nowhere near as large as the one that had been destroyed, but impressive nonetheless.

"Help me to the tree," I said.

I ran my hand over the bark; hard and strong. I needed dream-wine. Together, Maple and I brewed a cup of the deep red liquid, and when it was done, I raised it to my lips and drank deep.

Summer continued on from there. Our wounds healed, and soon enough we were back to training and preparing for the war. Kronos was back, and it would do us no good to be caught twiddling our thumbs. I began learning to properly use Dawn, and began experimenting with it as well. I'd need every advantage I could get my hands on…

I continued honing my other abilities as well. By the end of July I could summon three spectral wolves and over a dozen crows, though the effort left me dizzy every time. Any more and risked passing out.

Annabeth would be staying for a few weeks into the fall to take care of Chiron, make sure his leg was mending; after that she'd be returning to California to attend a private school her dad had enrolled her in. Percy would be going back to New York and going to the school his stepfather taught at.

The two of them had been distant since the quest, and hardly spent any time together. I'd tried to ease some details out of them, but their quest had been too uncomfortable to repeat. I hoped they'd make up; wouldn't do any good if two of the most capable demigods at camp—besides myself, of course—were fighting.

Nico and Bianca were still welcome at camp, though their not-so-secret secret parentage ensured they were looked at suspiciously by some of the other campers. Percy, Annabeth, Melony, Jason, Grover, Tyson, and I did our best to ensure they felt welcome and happy, but it still looked like they had begun to feel uncomfortable with all the new attention.

Then they disappeared. They'd be staying for a while in the Underworld, trying to come to terms with their past and their place in the present. They'd left a note (called it "Taking a page out of Hunter's book," which was completely ridiculous), but that didn't mean we weren't worried. We got an Iris-message from them a few days later, but it had been short. They were okay, they just needed some time. We told them to be careful. Nothing since.

As the final days of the summer session of camp proceeded, there was one last thing I had to do.

"You sure about this, Hunter?" Percy asked.

"Certain." I slipped on a bracer and flexed my arm, feeling the weight of it. Too much and I'd be too slow.

"I'd understand if you called it off," he said, tightening the straps of his chest armor.

"No way," I said. All ready, I turned to face him. "You're the best swordsman this camp has seen in almost three hundred years. I plan on changing that." I drew Dawn and held it with both hands. "One round, you vs. me. No powers, no help, nothing but our skill. Unless you're scared."

He scoffed. "No way." He uncapped down and slipped his shield onto his arm. _He has more protection, but I'm faster; I just need to avoid a head-on assault._

"Good luck, brother!" Tyson called. He, Annabeth, Jason, Melony, and Grover were watching from the sidelines of the fighting arena.

"You can do it, Hunter!" Melony called.

"First one to yield is the winner," Annabeth called, acting as our unofficial referee. "Ready!"

"I'm gonna mop the floor with you," I said, grinning.

So much had changed during the summer. We'd all gotten so much stronger, so much more able, so much more _ready._ I'd learned to master my skinwalking abilities, gotten new weapons, learned my place in the world. Melony was still learning to understand her fire powers, but I could tell she was so close to mastering them. Jay's strength would be invaluable, I knew it. With him on our side, there's no way we could lose.

"Set!"

"In your dreams, moon-boy," he said, smiling right back.

Kronos was back. There was no denying that now. War was coming to Olympus. Not all of us would survive. Some would be remembered in songs and myths forever. Some wouldn't. More half-bloods were joining the Titans every day, and powerful monsters were stirring. The world of gods and monsters was going to change forever, but I had faith. We'd beaten the odds before, we could do it again. Lee and Castor and all those lost would be avenged. Luke, Anna, Damien, and everyone who joined the Titans would face justice for their crimes. We'd stop them. I know we could.

"Go!"

We charged.

* * *

* Gelos is the Greek god of laughter. He's not mentioned in the Riordanverse yet, but I have to assume he's there. In the books Lee is killed by a giant while Castor is killed by a hostile demigod, but I decided to switch their deaths to add more drama later on for Hunter.

A/N: So, who do you think won? It won't have any impact on the plot, but I'm curious to see who you guys think is the better swordsman.

Here we are. The end of Act IV. Only one part left. I was able to get most of Act III and all of Act IV out in around four months, so I'll be taking a break for a while. I have no idea when this story will pick back up—I still want to finish _The Outcast,_ which is _long_ overdue, and I also want to write _The Eldest Olympian_ and _The Twin of Love,_ which will be around twenty to thirty chapters each, so it'll be some time—but it _will_ pick up again, I swear it. All I ask is that you be patient and not to bombard me with "Please continue this story" messages. School'll be starting up soon so I'll be pretty busy. I expect to return to this story in around a year or so, but don't hold me to that.

However, you'll still hear from Hunter and the gang from time to time. Much like _The Demigod Files_ and _The Demigod Diaries,_ I'll be publishing a number of short stories taking place between Acts IV and V that'll be their own self-contained adventures but may be referenced or hinted at in Act V. They'll be published both on this story and _Hardships,_ a collection of one-shots tied to _The Hunter's Heir._ Each should be somewhere between five- and ten-thousand words, so hopefully they'll hold you over. Here are the summaries:

The Treasure Trove: Still grieving from the loss of his son Castor, Dionysus sends Hunter and Jay to New York to find another of his demigod children. However, after learning that the child has sold his soul to a godling vying for power under Kronos's reign, both Hunter and Jason must descend into the sewers beneath New York to rescue the demigod and return him to his father.

The Missing Cloak: Hestia asks Melony to find her favorite brown cloak, a gift from her mother Rhea, which she believes to have been stolen. Melony enlists Hunter's aid in tracking it down, and soon both are caught up in a bizarre tale of Olympian courtship that could cost them their lives.

The Stolen Bird: After losing Aphrodite's enchanted girdle, Hera asks her son to find it for her, as the embarrassment of having lost such an item will not go over well on Olympus. Jay asks Melony for help, and together the two set out to find it. Along the way they encounter monsters, brutish bouncers, and a particularly jealous goddess who seeks to make Zeus her own.

The Titan Hunt: Troubling reports about Titan activity leads to Hunter tracking down a group of monsters. But having underestimated his quarry, he joins forces with the Hunters of Artemis to bring down the Titan Koios before he can lead an assault on Camp Half-Blood or any other bases the demigods hold.

They should all be published in that order and several months apart, so please be patient. Which one looks the most exciting? For me it's probably a tie between _The Treasure Trove_ and _The Titan Hunt._

Anyway, I'll see you all in a few months (or a few weeks if you're reading any of my other stories).

Bye!


	42. Chapter 42

The Sorrowful Deity: Lol Will showing favoritism to his crush. Does Nico know and reciprocate or his he naive?

No, he doesn't reciprocate. Remember, Nico was born in the '20s, when being openly gay was greatly frowned upon, so he still isn't comfortable coming out. So, for now, he's keeping his feelings bottled up.

JosephLeeCollins: So, are you also gonna cover the Heroes of Olympus and the effects Hunter will have on them?

Possibly. If people are interested, I might do a sequel to this story. I still don't know yet.

 **The Hunter's Heir**

 **Treasure Trove**

Jay and I were sitting on the porch of the Artemis cabin, eating strawberries, and enjoying the nice weather. A few weeks after the Battle of the Labyrinth, the afternoon sun still brought a pleasant warmth that only hinted at coming winter. And speaking of Winter, the wolf sat at my heels, savagely chewing on her hot dog chew toy, while Dusk was breaking apart the remains of a squirrel I'd hunted earlier. Melony was off with her mother Hestia, doing what, I had no idea; she said they were going to spend the day together in New York, so we told her to have fun. But she'd be gone for the rest of the day, and since only a handful of campers remained after the summer ended and most of our companions—like Percy, Annabeth, and Will—had returned home to attend school, Jay and I decided to take an easy day.

Which was promptly interrupted by the arrival of Dionysus's remaining son Pollux, whose brother Castor had died at the Battle of the Labyrinth.

He stopped before the steps to the porch, because for some reason many of the males around camp were afraid to step foot on the Artemis cabin. "My father wishes to see you."

I put another strawberry into my mouth. "Why?"

"He wouldn't say, just that it was urgent."

"What if we refuse?"

"He asked for _you_ , and you alone."

I furrowed my brow. Then I sighed, washed my strawberry down with a gulp of dream-wine, and rose. "I'll be back shortly," I told my companions. They raised no objections as I followed the son of Dionysus toward the Big House.

He had changed since his brother's death; sullener, more silent, like a part of him was missing. _You know what that's like,_ I told myself. My chest tightened. _Brandon, Elane, all of you, forgive me._ Orion had killed them all, just to get to me, and I killed him in turn. If there was justice in the world, then Orion was screaming down in Tartarus, and Physis was re-forming quickly. _Please hurry, my lady,_ I prayed. _Come back to us, I can't do it without you._ I was the last of my kind; the last skinwalker of my generation. Until the Mistress of Nature returned, it was up to me to train the next generation. I wasn't sure I'd be able to.

"He's waiting for you inside," Pollux said.

"Thank you, Pollux," I said to him. He looked at me sullenly and walked off. I climbed the porch stairs and walked inside. Chiron and Dionysus were playing a game of cards on the sitting room table, Mr. D on the couch, and Chiron in his wheelchair across from him.

"Ah, you've arrived," Mr. D drawled. "I was beginning to think my son might have gotten lost."

"Pollux was fine, I was just working up the _thrill_ seeing you gives."

He glanced at me. "You know, I remember when a summons from a god would have heroes tripping over their own feet."

"Those heroes died. I don't plan on joining them until my teeth fall out and my hair goes white." I crossed my arms. "What do you want?"

"Leave to return to Olympus, a good hand at these cards, some nice red wine, a little respect, just to name a few."

"My respect is earned, Dionysus."

He turned to me. "How about I turn you into a dolphin for a few hours, will that 'earnyour respect'?"

I scoffed. "You go ahead and try, Dionysus, I have Artemis on speed-dial." _Promise me, Hunter._

"Hmph. She's the reason you're here."

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Lord Dionysus here," Chiron said, "has a…problem."

"What sort of 'problem'?"

"A serious one," the god said. "One of my sons, Henry, has gone missing."

"I didn't know you had anymore sons," I admitted.

"It isn't something I make a habit of," he said, "but his mother was…a unique being. She died some months ago, and I promised her I'd keep our boy safe. I sent a satyr to bring him to camp, but we lost contact a few weeks ago."

"And you're only investigating now?"

Purple flames danced in his eyes. "I've been busy, mourning the loss of my son Castor. I had also hoped that his guide met an unfortunate fate but he was still coming, but that seems unlikely now. I asked your mother to spare one of her Hunters or two to find him, but she says they're too busy. Bah! Nonsense, I say. She's never forgiven me for flirting with that Lya girl."

"To be fair, my lord," Chiron said, "she _did_ ask you to stop more than once."

"Still! It was a one-time thing, I promised her, but _nooo_ , she _still_ holds a grudge. Bad enough her little group of fangirls burned down a large part of my camp after the fact, but now she refuses to help? The nerve!"

The direction this conversation took made me angry, so I said, "What does this have to do with me?"

"After my sweet half-sister refused to send any of her girls, she suggested that you might be of some help. 'He's as good a hunter as any of my girls, and more than capable of handling himself in a fight; send my son, and yours will be with you in no time,' those were her words."

A notion of pride welled up in my chest. "She isn't wrong. Very well, I'll help you. Where was your son last seen?"

"Brooklyn. Start there. Bring him back to me, and I promise to reward you well."

Jay was still on my cabin's porch when I returned. "What did Mr. D want?"

"A favor."

"A quest?"

I shook my head. "A rescue mission. Go get your things, I'll explain on the way."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why am I coming?"

"Because odds are, there'll be a number of dangers on this little errand, and I'd feel better with some support."

He got to his feet. "Should we call Melony?"

"No, there's no time. Our target's already been missing for a few weeks; there's no telling what sort of danger he's in. It's just you and me on this one."

He nodded. "Give me a few minutes."

"I'll meet you at the edge of camp," I called to his back. Walking inside, I pulled on my black leather jacket and buckled on my belt, making sure that my new knife was in place. I'd lost my old ones in the fight against Orion, but Artemis had been nice enough to give me one of hers; wasn't really different from my old ones, just a little longer. As a precaution, I threw some extra clothes and some sleeping bags into a backpack. Then I walked to the wall where Dawn hung above my bed, picked it up, and unsheathed it. The blade glowed pale-white in the darkness. Artemis's gift to me, her own personal sword, two-handed and light as a feather, was a symbol of office, a way of identifying me as her heir. In the weeks since I'd gotten it, I'd practiced with it every day, first against Percy, then against Melony when the son of Poseidon went home. They were both still more skilled than I, but admitted that with a little more experience, I might one day be as good as they. I slid the sword back into its sheathe and slipped it onto my back. I'd been experimenting with it, and some other weapons I'd asked the Hephaestus cabin to make, but so far none of them had been successful.

"Come along, Dusk," I said, and the crow fluttered onto my shoulder. "Winter, stay." The wolf didn't look happy about that, but she'd do me more good here than in some overcrowded city.

I didn't need to meet Jay at the edge of camp, because he met me at the edge of the cabins. His spear and shield were on his back, and a backpack was hung over one shoulder.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Brooklyn. We need to find Dionysus's son."

"His son?"

I nodded. "Apparently he's got another one somewhere in Brooklyn. They lost contact, so he's sending us."

"How do you plan on getting us there?"

"Argus'll be driving us."

"Wonderful," he muttered. I laughed. Since Argus had been created by Hera, he saw himself as Jay's older brother, much to the latter's chagrin. The friendly giant is one of the few beings in the world to know Jay is Hera's son—myself, Melony, Hera, and Hestia being the only others.

"Oh, don't look so glum," I admonished, grinning. "It'll be some nice brotherly bonding time for you two."

"I hate you."

"I don't think you do."

"No, I really do."

-o-

We arrived in Brooklyn at around two in the afternoon, so we still had plenty of time to look before nightfall. The drive was lovely; Argus kept trying to strike up a conversation with Jay—well, as good a conversation as could be had when you had an eye on your tongue—who rebuffed him. Argus seemed a little sad about that, but I spoke up from time to time to tell him about the quests we'd been on. Argus dropped us off in front of town hall, promising to pick us up when we needed him. I thanked him and he sped off, but not before he gave Jay a smile. The son of Hera scoffed and stalked away.

"You should try being a little nicer to him," I suggested.

"You should try shutting your mouth," he retorted.

"If I do, will you give him a chance?"

"No."

"Then I guess my mouth's staying open."

After a short while, I picked up on the demigod's scent. It led us downtown, through several tight alleyways, before finally stopping in front of a dumpster behind an Italian restaurant.

"This is it?" Jay asked.

"Apparently so." I looked around. "The trail stops here, so this must be where they ended up."

"But there's no blood, or monster dust. Unless they just gave up, this can't be—hold on."

"What?" I went over to where he was crouched, near the over-stuffed dumpster.

He threw one of the trash bags to the side, then another. "A sewer grate."

"Can you get it open?" He dug his fingers into the middle and ripped it off. "I never doubted you."

He gestured. "Ladies first."

"Then by all means, go right ahead."

He scowled. "Just get down there."

I rolled my eyes. "Make sure you cover the hole back up." I took hold of the ladder and began to climb down.

-o-

The sewer reeked, smelling like something rotting and expired. I had to hold back a gag. "This is something, isn't it?" Jay asked.

"Oh, yeah, I always wanted to spend my weekend in sewers," I said.

"Which way?"

"Hard to tell. The sewage is making it difficult to track the demigod's scent. Dusk, can you tell which way?" The little bird always seemed to know which way to go, and this time was no different. He cawed and began to flap down one of the tunnels. "Don't get too far away from us," I said. If we ran into trouble there was no guarantee I could protect him.

We followed the long tunnel for some time, listening for any signs of trouble. The sewers were like a maze, and more than once I wondered if we had stumbled into the labyrinth. I assured myself that was impossible; the labyrinth had collapsed when its creator Daedalus died, but still, the fear was there. Mel, Jay, and I had wandered the labyrinth for a few days, and I didn't relish the thought of being back down there. The underground wasn't someplace I liked. No open space. No fresh air.

Eventually we came to a dead end, where the sewage came out from a tunnel above us. "Do we turn around?" Jay asked.

Dusk cawed and flew up there. "No," I said. "Dionysus's son is that way, so that's the way we go."

"How do we get up there."

I pointed. "I brought some rope with me. I'll climb up and then lower it down to you. Can you climb that?" He nodded. "Good. I'll be quick."

The wall was only about twenty feet, not a hard climb. Time had withered down the concrete, so I only had to probe a little to find a good handhold. I climbed up, arm-over-arm, then shimmied over and climbed into the tunnel. There were bars where water came through to the side, so I tied the rope around it and threw the other end down to Jay. It was a little short, but he was able to jump to it. When he climbed up he asked, "Should we take it with us?"

I nodded. "Just in case."

We continued on, trying not to step in sewage along the way. A rat scurried out of a whole in the wall, and Dusk cawed. "Quiet," I said.

"What?" Jay asked.

"You hear that?"

He listened. At the end of the tunnel came the sounds of voices. We snuck along, careful not to make a noise. There, below us, in a chamber where the sewage pooled together before flowing down several smaller tunnels, was half a dozen or so monsters: a cyclops, some Scythian Dracanae, and somethings that looked like a blend of a Doberman pinscher, a human child and a sea lion—a telekhine. Percy described them to me. They were what re-forged Kronos's scythe.

"Why are we still down here?" the cyclops asked. "Everything around here smells! One half-blood can't be worth it."

"We're here because our massssster demandsssss it," one of the snakes said. "Keep looking, we're ssssso clossssse, I can feel it."

"What do we do?" Jay asked.

"We have some fun," I said, jumping down. "You guys looking for a half-blood?" I asked, smirking. "Here's one, and he is stunning."

"Kill him!" the snake lady said.

I drew Dawn and went to work. I had already cut down one of the snakes and a telekhine when Jay joined in, impaling the cyclops with his spear and moving on to another telekhine. We cut through the other monsters so quickly there was no time for them to sound the alarm.

"Do you really need to be so reckless?" Jay asked.

I shrugged. "Low-level monsters are nothing, Jay. Why should I need to worry about them?"

"That sort of thinking's going to get you killed one day."

"If I get killed by the likes of these, then maybe I deserve it."

He scoffed. "Which way?"

I pointed down a tunnel. "Here."

We came across a handful of monsters, broken up into pairs, along the way. We cut them down easy enough and didn't break stride. I was so caught up in finding the half-blood I wouldn't have noticed the piece of concrete falling toward my head if Jay hadn't tackled me out of the way. "Look out!"

My head would've been caved in if he hadn't saved me. "Thank you, Jay," I said as he helped me up.

"It's not a big deal, just be more aware next time."

"Yeah, I'll definitely—there!" I shouted as the culprit ran into a tunnel above us. "Come on!"

We raced up the ladder and began to run after him.

"I'll end you!" came his voice, but the tunnels made it echo, so there was no way to tell which direction it came from.

"Stop, Henry!" I shouted. "We're trying to help you!"

"I don't want your help!"

After a few minutes, right when we were passing through a T tunnel that opened onto a similar chamber to the one we had been in, something slammed into me, knocking me into the other chamber. I landed with a grunt and found two dozen monsters gaping down at me in surprise.

"Hunter!" Jay called. "Are you all right?"

"Do not come down here!" I shouted. "Stay on him, do _not_ let him get away." I unsheathed Dawn. "Leave these to me."

The monsters roared and charged. I dodged the first one, cut down the second and third, then sidestepped the fourth. I raised my arm and a murder of spectral crows burst forth from the ground. One of my abilities that I'd inherited from Artemis—I could summon certain kinds of animals forth. So far I'd only been able to do wolves and crows, and even then not very many. This would be my only usage of that skill today. If I pushed myself too hard, I risked passing out or worse.

The crows descended upon the monsters, clawing and pecking at their eyes, mouths, necks. A good half dozen fell that way, and they provided enough of a distraction that I was able to kill a good number of the rest with my sword, my knife, and my bow. By the time I was done all that was left was dust and a bit of blood where a telekhine had scratched at my face and gotten cut in half for his troubles. He only left a little cut, nothing time and a sip of nectar wouldn't heal.

I climbed quickly as I could back to the tunnel, doing my best to find Jay's scent. "Come on, Dusk!" I called as I ran. I raced down half a dozen tunnels, turning left then right then left again, on and on.

At some point the sewer merged with an abandoned railway, with tracks leading in every which direction. Luckily it made it much easier to track Jay that way. I followed his scent for several minutes before I caught up with him.

"Did you find him?"

He shook his head. "No, but I think he went this way."

I turned to Dusk. "Do you have the scent?"

He cawed and flapped his wings, as though offended at even the _suggestion_ that he didn't.

"Show us the way."

-o-

Eventually Dusk led us down a long corridor with a metal door. He perched upon it can gave a caw.

"He's in here," I told Jay.

"You think he barricaded himself in?"

"Will it matter?"

"No." Jay grabbed the door and wrenched it off its hinges. We stepped inside, and found ourselves in a small square chamber no larger than the Artemis cabin. Henry stood with his back to the wall, sword in hand.

"Come on!" he screamed. "I'm ready."

He evidently wasn't, because I was able to disarm him before he could react. His eyes widened and he pressed himself against the wall. I pushed Dawn's blade to his throat. "Why did you attack us?"

He scowled. "You really need to ask that? I guess you Kronos minions are stupider than I thought."

I lowered my sword. "You think we serve Kronos?"

He rubbed his neck. "Don't you?"

"No, we don't."

"Your father sent us," Jay said. "We're here to bring you home."

"M-My father?"

"Yes," I said. "Dionysus. You know, short, fat, mild alcoholic? That's your daddy, kiddo. Congrats."

He blinked. "I…I thought he forgot about me."

"He has just been busy," Jay said. "Much has been going on in our world."

"You mean Kronos?" he asked.

"Yes." I frowned. "How do you know about that?"

"He's been sending hunting parties out, looking for recruits." He scowled. "We—my friends and I—ran into one. They killed our escort, and we came here to hide."

"And where are your friends now?"

A pained look crossed his face. "Dead. My fault."

"What do you mean?"

"We decided to split up, make it harder for them to find us, but…I ran into Lord Plutus. He captured my soul, and threatened to banish me to Tartarus if I didn't bring my friends to him."

"Plutus, you say?" I asked, uneasy. _That's not possible._

"Yes. He promised he'd be merciful, but…" His lip wobbled. "When they refused to join, he killed them! I managed to get away, but I can't leave this sewer, or I'm doomed."

"We'll take care of it," I promised.

Henry gaped at us. "But…but…Plutus is a god! One of Kronos's lieutenants!"

"A _minor_ god," I said. "Besides, we've dealt with immortals before. Wait here until we return."

He nodded. "I will. You can find Plutus by following the tracks outside for about a hundred feet, then take a left. Keep going straight till you reach the service junction. He's turned it into his own personal throne room."

"Thank you. We'll return shortly."

"Good luck."

When we left the room, Jay asked, "What is it? You looked troubled."

"He said someone stole his soul."

"Can't the gods do that?"

I shook my head. "Only a few—Hades, Thanatos, the Furies if they're acting on their lord's orders, Ares, maybe Deimos and Phobos, but _Plutus_? He's a god of wealth. There's no _way_ he should have that sort of power."

"So either he's gotten an upgrade since joining Kronos…"

"…or he's lying. Either way, it's something we need to get to the bottom of."

-o-

We followed Henry's directions, cutting down any errant monsters we found. The junction had been reconstructed into a great chamber, filled to the brim with gold, jewels, and all manner of things worth something to someone. Sitting upon a great stone throne, was the god Plutus himself.

He was small; not quite a child, but certainly not an adult. From the look of his legs, he was crippled, too. Apollo once told me he was blind, but by the look of things he could see just well enough. Small wings, like a bird, twitched slowly.

"Welcome, gentlemen," he said, running a hand through the gold piled high around his throne and letting the drachma coins slip between his fingers. "What can I help you with?"

"We're looking for a soul," I said. "Got any lying around here?"

He sniffed. "I don't know _what_ you're talking about, young man. I'm merely a collector of coins, not souls. Why would I—"

"Don't play dumb, Plutus," I said. "We know—"

"It's _Lord_ Plutus to you, boy." His eyes narrowed.

"Kronos must be _desperate_ , to name you a lord."

"Watch your tongue, half-blood, or I will rip it from your mouth!" He jabbed a finger at me. "Begone from this place, or else…"

"Not until you give Henry back his soul."

He rolled his eyes. "His soul's damnation was merely a threat to bend him to my will. After all, what harm could a half-blood really do?"

"You're about to find out," I said. Beside me, Jay readied his spear.

He slammed a fist down on his throne's arm. "Artemis and Apollo may favor you, half-blood, but heir or no, I grow tired of your whinging."

"I really don't have time for this, so can we hurry this along?"

He spread his wings and ascended into the air, summoning a spear and pointing it at us. "You die now!"

I looked at Jay, looked back, and laughed. "Now we all know _that_ isn't true." I drew Dawn. Dusk fluttered off my shoulder and out of danger.

Plutus plunged toward us, and we dove out of the way as he drove his spear into the ground. He came up, spinning, the point of his spear just barely missing us as we sidestepped. He was staying upright thanks to his wings, so it seemed only right to target them.

"The wings!" I shouted.

"Got it," Jay said.

With blinding speed, Plutus rushed at me, spear pointed out to impale me. I dodged to the side, then came on quick, managing to cut in a cut across his chest. He growled and spun, his wings outstretched to knock us away. Then he spread them and soared, charging toward me. I dodged to the side, and three more times he charged at us, and each time we managed to move. As he turned to begin a fifth charge, I ran at Jay. He cupped his hands together and vaulted me into the air. Plutus was so surprised he wasn't able to change course.

We collided but managed to stay aloft. I drew the dagger Artemis had given me and stabbed it into his shoulder, going as deep as I could. He screamed. I grabbed his head and used the momentum to throw him to the ground.

Dazed, he couldn't react quick enough when we ran at him. We fell upon the god, fists flying, aiming for his chest, arms, head. Jay's blows were great enough to leave great purple welts, but I was fast enough to do a good deal of damage on my own. After a moment of that, the coins around us began to vibrate.

Aware of the danger, we threw ourselves to the sides as the coins erupted into a great whirlwind surrounding Plutus. The coins were moving too fast to get through, so we waited, until finally they shot in all directions. We would have been seriously hurt if Jay hadn't used his shield to block most of them, but our legs still took a bit of damage.

We moved as one, but Plutus slammed his spearpoint into the ground, and two dozen others sprouted up around him. I screamed when one cut my leg, but Jay managed to avoid getting cut.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine!" I hissed. "Look out!"

Jay dove to the side as the coins below him exploded, Plutus emerging like a whale from the ocean. He dove beneath the blanket of coins at our feet, and the ground was still. Then, a moment later, I felt a tingle beneath my feet, like ice settling, and jumped out of the way in time to avoid him. The god did this over and over, submerging and emerging near us. I waited until he was beneath me, then threw myself at Jay. He grabbed my waist and collar and threw me at the airborne god. I slammed into him, punching him between the eyes as hard as I could.

He fell, and again we were on him, punching and kicking until his face was a ruin of purple tissue and blood. The ground beneath us began to shake, and suddenly we were sucked down to our knees in golden coins and treasure.

Plutus dove upon Jay, his spear aimed for the throat, but Jay managed to intercept the spear, catching it before it could impale him. "Hunter!"

I dug myself out as quickly as I could, running toward them. I jumped on Plutus, driving my knife into his back and using the momentum to flip him into his stomach. He tried to attack me, but Jay ran him through with his spear, pushing him back and back and back.

Plutus knocked Jay away with a solid backhand, then wrenched the spear from his side and snapped it. "Enough of this!" He charged.

"Jay!" I shouted, and the son of Hera threw his shield. Plutus dove out of the way, but the shield hadn't been aimed at him. I caught it and threw it like a frisbee, catching the god in the side of the head as he rose to his feet.

Jay and I ran as hard as we could for the god, grabbing his shoulders and wings, respectively, and pulling. The wings tore from his body with a loud _crack,_ and Plutus screamed. Jay threw his body against the wall with a heavy impact.

Jay picked up his broken weapon. "He broke my spear."

I knew how that felt. My own father, Orion, had broken the bow I'd had since I was a child. "Then take his," I said, holding out the god's weapon. That was what I had done with Orion's weapon.

He took it and ran his hand along it. It was nearly the same as his own, but the point was a little longer and golden. "I like it."

"Good," I said. "Now let's go deal with our little friend over there."

Plutus lay broken and bloody, ichor leaking out. "What's wrong, Plutus?" I asked. "No more tricks?"

He tried to crawl away, but Jay's foot slammed down on his hand. He screamed. "What's Kronos planning?" Jay asked.

"Start talking, bitch, and we _might_ let you return to Olympus with all your parts."

Plutus sneered at us. "Kronos has shown me wonders beyond even your comprehension. You can offer me noth—" My sword relieved him of his head.

"Guess he wasn't feeling talkative. Oh well."

"You wouldn't have spared him even if he had been," Jay said.

"Probably not, no." I sheathed Dawn. "But he's not dead, not really. But since he's a minor god, hopefully he won't be back for another century or two." I looked around. "What should we do with all this stuff?"

"Leave it."

"You sure? If Kronos knows about this place, he can probably buy all the support he needs to launch a full-scale invasion."

He thought about that for a minute. "We'll call Chiron, have him send teams to pick it up."

I smirked. "Connor and Travis will _love_ that." I held out my hand, showing off a little replica of the Empire State Building. "But _this_ is mine."

He scowled. "Come on, let's go get Henry."

"Right behind you." Dusk perched upon my shoulder, head held high, like he had been the one to defeat the rogue god. I laughed. "Yes, you were very helpful." I scratched under his chin. He cawed triumphantly as we left.

-o-

Henry stood up when we entered. "Well?"

"Plutus won't be bothering you anymore," I said.

He sighed. "Thank gods, my soul is free."

Jay and I glanced at each other. "Henry, Plutus, he…he had no power over your soul."

He looked between us. "What?"

"Your soul's damnation was a threat, one he used to control you."

He shook his head back and forth. "No…No! That—that's impossible."

"I'm sorry," I said.

He wiped his eyes. "Then…then my friends…I…I gave them over for _nothing_?"

I held out a hand. "Come with us. You could come to our camp, fight Kronos and those like him."

He shook his head. "I can't, I don't deserve that. Hunter, I know you were sent here to bring me to my father, but…I can't go on."

A lump formed in my stomach. "You wish to find peace?"

"Yes," he said. "Whatever that might be."

I nodded. "Very well. Turn around." He did. Quick as I could, I drew Dawn and severed his head from his body.

"What do we do now?" Jay asked. He didn't look happy, but then again, neither did I. It seemed like such…a waste. Coming here, only to leave emptyhanded. It should have been avoided. Kronos needed to be stopped, his machinations ended. Those that sided with him would be punished. _All_ those that sided with him, gods included.

"We go home."

"And Dionysus?"

"We found his son, but we couldn't save him."

"He won't like that."

"No, I imagine he won't." I sighed. "Come on, my friend. Let's go home."

Wordlessly, we left the underground behind.

* * *

A/N: Please leave a review telling me what you thought. Thank you so much for reading, and I'll see you all for the next little one-shot in a few months.

Bye!


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